And You Thought It Was Over
by DCFanatic4life
Summary: They may have gotten revenge, but it just wasn't enough... Sequel to "Fire and Rain"
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the real people portrayed in this story. Vince McMahon and WWE own the characters and the real people own themselves.  
  
A/N: I'm SO glad that you guys enjoyed the ending to "Fire and Rain," I loved it too to be honest, and of course Stephanie was alive, go back and read Chapter 24 and you'll see that Chris was really unaffected by it all.  
  
So here's the sequel, if you can call it that, it's really just a continuation of the story from where it got left off in the last one. I wouldn't say that it's all that different or anything, people are still the same and everything, so I hope that you enjoy it. :)  
  
And if you want to be brutal, I invite you to be as brutal as you want.  
  
~  
  
Chris took off the black gloves as he got back into his car. He had just delivered Shane's letter from Stephanie into his mailbox. He had worn the gloves so that there would be no traceable fingerprints on the envelope itself. If they found his fingerprints, it would be extremely suspicious.  
  
He had the distinct privilege of already delivering Hunter's letter. He almost laughed as he thought about Hunter reading that letter. He knew that when he read it he would be shocked. Maybe even angered, maybe angry enough to want to hurt Chris. But then Chris thought about what poor little Hunter had gone through for the past year and it made it a little bit...funnier.  
  
Chris picked up his cell phone and dialed his home, and smiled when he heard her voice, "Hello? This better be good because I was in the fucking shower."  
  
"It's me."  
  
"Oh, then it is good, what're you up to?" Stephanie asked as she wrapped the towel tighter around herself. It was rare for Chris to travel to Connecticut for work, but this hadn't been for work, more for...pleasure.  
  
"Just dropped them both off."  
  
"Brilliant! I wish that I could see their faces when they read their letters. I think Hunter's will be especially poignant. You know, I think it was almost...noble of him to move into my old house. You know so he could be reminded of me at all times. You know, I'd love to see what he's done with the place."  
  
"I'm sure it's dust-ridden, with your clothes still hanging exactly as you left them."  
  
"Or as you left them right? I mean, you are the one who took my clothes for me."  
  
"True, I thought I picked out the best items."  
  
"You did, none of the frumpy shit that Hunter made me wear. What a fucking hypocrite, he tries to change me and then mourns me so hard when I die. Part of me thinks this is an act to get sympathy. And if it is...well I have to give the man credit, it's a brilliant plan."  
  
"Even if you outsmarted him."  
  
"As I tend to do all the time...so where are you going now?"  
  
"I'm going to the office, unlike you my love, I have to do work."  
  
"No, no Chrissy, you don't HAVE to do work, not with my money, you don't have to do anything ever again except fuck me until I'm satisfied, but I have a feeling that's one job you don't mind doing."  
  
"It's what I wish I was doing right now," he said seductively, "Unfortunately, I do HAVE to have this job. Lest we forget Steph that you are the one who wanted me to have this job so I could mess with everyone and you could still wreak havoc even though you're technically dead."  
  
"Yes, technicality and all that. I mean, Stephanie is dead yes, but Mary is not dead, and technically I am Mary so I'm not dead."  
  
"I'm going to the office, I will inform you of any storylines that might need your immediate attention."  
  
"I don't like the googly eyes I've seen Edge and Dawn making again. I want those two to stay broken up."  
  
"Oh they will Steph, they will...you just worry about how Hunter and Shane are receiving your letters."  
  
Shane got his mail and leafed through it. He was only expecting bills so seeing a simple, white envelope with his name written in simple handwriting on the front was a pleasant, albeit mysterious surprise. He flipped it over a few times, trying to figure out where it had come from. It was too small to be a bomb, but there was only one way to find out what it was.  
  
He opened the envelop and pulled out the delicate piece of paper. He could smell the sweet scent of perfume waft up from the letter, and it seemed vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place it exactly. He pulled the paper open and read the writing scrawled on the inside. His eyes widened as he got deeper and deeper into the letter. He was still outside and looked around quickly, scanning the surrounding area for anything out of the ordinary. There didn't seem to be, but how could he be sure? Who the hell had written this? Stephanie had been dead for a year, and he had been pretty happy about that. He hadn't been said in the least, the past year had been his best in a long time. Then this had come.  
  
He wasn't too worried though. What was Stephanie going to do, she WAS dead after all. He had seen her slut body buried anyways. He had wanted to just smile through the entire thing, but his parents would have cut him off if he had done that. He walked back inside, forgetting about the letter as soon as he walked in the door, letting it fall by the wayside.  
  
That was only his first mistake.  
  
While Shane was discarding his letter, Hunter was reading his over and over again. There were tears in his eyes as he read it for the fifth time. He missed his Stephanie terribly and the hurt over her death still hadn't healed. He had moved into her house just to feel her presence around. Her scent still lingered around and it was almost like she was watching over him, making sure that he woke up every morning and continued to live.  
  
"What kind of sick joke is this?" Hunter muttered to himself.  
  
"The thought of Stephanie sleeping with Chris was not one he ever wanted to think about. It just couldn't be true. Stephanie had said time and time again that she and Jericho were just friends. She had loved him, Hunter; she wouldn't have cheated on him. He refused to believe that they had slept together. He knew that they had ended on bad terms and Stephanie had died without talking to Chris. So this letter had to be fake.  
  
If he only knew.  
  
Chris settled into his leather desk chair in his office at Titan. He smiled as he thought of both Shane and Hunter opening Stephanie's letters They didn't know what was coming and that was the beauty of this entire thing, the element of surprise was the key. His phone rang and he picked it up, wondering who knew he was here.  
  
"Chris Jericho's office."  
  
"Chris, it's Vince. I heard you were in the building and I wanted to find out for myself."  
  
"Yeah, I was in the state an thought I'd drop by the office, see what's up. Maybe get some work done here for once."  
  
"I'm actually glad that you're here. We were going to have a dinner in Stephanie's honor this weekend and we'd like you to come."  
  
"In Stephanie's honor?"  
  
"We thought it might be nice if we had a little dinner since it's the anniversary of her death," Vince answered, getting a little choked up at the end of that sentence.  
  
"Wow, a whole year," Chris mused.  
  
"Yeah, I feel like it was just yesterday that she was so excited about her wedding," Vince said, "I can't believe its been so long since my baby girl got taken away from me."  
  
Even now, a year later, nobody had figured out that Stephanie did not want to be married to Hunter. Did anybody even see her? Did they even take the time to look at her every once and a while? Nobody knew Stephanie, even those that claimed to love her didn't know her. Great, now he was getting mushy and he hated that.  
  
"So when and where is this dinner?" Chris asked, moving the conversation forward so he wouldn't have to think about loving Stephanie right now. Sure, he loved her, she knew that, he knew that, but they didn't want anyone else to know that. They had their reasons.  
  
"Saturday at 6:30, my house, you do know where that is, am I correct?"  
  
"Yup, I know where it is," Chris said, having been there before on many an escapade with Stephanie in the past.  
  
"Great, I'm glad you can make it, I'm sure Stephanie would've loved to have seen you there."  
  
"Oh, I think Stephanie would've liked that yes," he said, holding in his smile.  
  
"Well, I'll let you get back to work, I don't pay you to sit around and do nothing."  
  
"No, you don't, bye Vince."  
  
"Bye Chris."  
  
Chris hung up the phone and laughed as he tapped his fingers on the desk. The light glinted off his wedding ring and he thought of Stephanie. Wouldn't she appreciate that there was going to be a dinner in her honor. He was sure that it would tickle her pink to know that even a year later everyone was still exalting her memory and wishing she weren't dead. What the hell had she done to garner such praise? Personally bribe everyone to make her like them? He grabbed his cell phone to call her again.  
  
"Mmm, is this my husband who's not here to help me get out of these tight clothes," she purred into the phone as she picked it up.  
  
"Yes, it is, and stop putting images in my mind that make me want to fly home right now...because there have been some exciting goings-on around here."  
  
"Hunter had a heart attack when he read the letter and they carted him off in a body bag?" Her voice excited and teasing.  
  
"If that had happened, do you think I would be calling you and not taping it with some sort of camera so you could see the exact moment that his heart broke."  
  
"Good point, serves the bastard right to die after what he did to me...so what's the exciting news then?"  
  
"Well, I've been invited to a very special, very exclusive dinner."  
  
"Oh, don't tell me, some ring rat is trying to get her claws into you. Tell whoever the little dear is that you have plenty of fucking at home and don't need some two-cent cheap floozy spreading her goddamn legs around you, skanking it up."  
  
"Jealousy doesn't become you my love."  
  
"Jealousy, please Chris, if I was jealous don't you think I would've hired a private investigator to tail you and make sure you're not tapping some bitch's ass behind my back?"  
  
"Devious, unfortunately, I only tap yours."  
  
"Good thing too, because I could just as easily stray from you."  
  
"And then MY private investigator would tell me and darling, I'd cut you off so fast and expose your sordid, dirty little secret to the world."  
  
"Oh, you do play hardball Chris," Stephanie said softly, "That's what I love about you. But sweetie, don't you think if you told my secret that you'd be in just as much hot water? In case you've forgotten, you were in on it all along. Daddy Dearest would fire you so fast, and then you'd be poor, and driven to the drink, poor dear Chrissy."  
  
"What would become of you though? Would you just turn around and marry the man you were supposed to? I'm sure he'd be so thrilled to see you."  
  
"Please, I'd rather really die than do that," she said with a scoff, "So tell me now baby, what's the exciting news?"  
  
"Dinner with the family and Hunter I'm sure, to...get this...celebrate your memory. Since it was a year ago that the lovely Stephanie McMahon died in such a tragic car accident. We must remember our dear friend, who was taken too soon, cut down in her prime, right before her wedding in the largest twist of irony known to man."  
  
Stephanie laughed, "A dinner in my honor? You've got to be kidding me? What are they going to do, reminisce about better times, will each table setting have a picture of me sitting on it, perhaps someone will have drawn halos to show that I was the perfect, little angel."  
  
"I'm contemplating whether I should invite my wife to this little dinner," he said, "I mean, nobody's ever had the pleasure of meeting her and what better place than at this dinner for my former best friend."  
  
"Yeah, that's just what I want, to go to dinner at my parent's house. Count me out Chris, but you can call poor, little me on the telephone during the dinner and maybe you can pass the phone off to talk to someone...say Hunter?"  
  
"You're saying you want to talk to him over the phone during this dinner?"  
  
"Well yes, I do want to hear my dear Hunter's voice. Just to make sure that he's really ok, and that he's continuing to survive without his beloved Stephanie."  
  
"I'll see what I can do," he said.  
  
He would probably give in to her. There weren't a lot of things in this world that he wouldn't do for Stephanie, and not because she was his wife, and not because he loved her, but because damn was she a persuasive person. She could probably persuade anyone to do anything for her. He smiled kind of proudly at that, she was HIS wife after all, he had the right to be proud that she could be the biggest bitch and manipulator on the planet. How many men could say that and mean it when they said that was the reason they loved their wives?  
  
"Chris, come on, don't you want to make me happy," she said, her voice innocent and free of all the flirtiness it usually contained.  
  
"Don't pull your innocent act on me, you know it doesn't work."  
  
"It would work if I were there," she protested, "I'd sit in your lap and then slowly run my fingers through your hair, letting them travel down to your jaw and then I'd run my finger down your jaw as I kiss you softly and rub my--"  
  
"That's enough," he said, "What are you trying to do to me? Show off your ability to kill me without even being in the state?"  
  
"Aww, poor baby," she said, mock sympathetically, "So going to call during the dinner?"  
  
"Was there ever any doubt that I would let you?"  
  
"No, but its more fun when I get to tease you," she told him, "Now what kind of accent should I have? God forbid one of them recognize my voice and think that their precious Stephanie came back from the dead."  
  
"Whatever you see fit. I can't wait to hear this for myself."  
  
"Well, you just get your ass to that dinner and darling I'll do the rest."  
  
"Good."  
  
"And this is only the beginning."  
  
"Stupid fools, they thought it was over."  
  
"It's far from over." 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys. :)  
  
And to "Annoyed," no, I don't think I'll cut out the "Chris and Stephanie crap" because so far, that's really worked for me, considering. I mean, you know, I like writing about them, just like some people like writing about Hunter/Stephanie, or Trish/Christian, or Matt/Lita, or Jeff/Lita, or any of the numerous and abundant couples that the WWE has. So I'm going to have to say no to what you told me, no, I'm not going to stop writing Chris/Stephanie because, well, I like it, and you are not the boss of me, and you can send me a million, trillion, kazillion reviews saying you don't like Chris and Stephanie, and I'll ignore you one million, trillion, kazillion times because...I can.  
  
And if you don't like the couple, don't read the fic, no one is holding a gun to your head...unless someone IS holding a gun to your head, in which case, Hey Gun Guy, stop holding a gun to the person's head! It's impolite!  
  
But thanks for the review. :D

* * *

He didn't know why he was here. It wasn't like he was obligated to be here or anything, it had been part of an elaborate plan to help Stephanie escape from the life that she hated. Yes, she had hated it, comparing it to a prison at times, times when they actually talked about serious things. They may be superficial, but they had the ability to have a normal conversation.  
  
He walked closer to the grave. Just like he had suspected, it was in perfect condition. He wondered how much of that was the cemetery and how much of that was her family, or Hunter. Probably Hunter, given how he had been since Stephanie had perished. He remembered when he last looked at this, at Stephanie's fake funeral. Having to keep up appearances had been difficult, but in the end, it had been more than worth it to know that Stephanie was alive and well, and that everyone was none the wiser.  
  
There were a couple of fresh bouquets on her grave. One of daisies, looking like they had been hand-picked and then another of pristine white roses. He wondered who had brought them. He smirked a little as he read Stephanie's gravestone again, it never ceased to make him laugh as he read it. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his wife.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"You will never believe where I am," he told her.  
  
She yawned, "Have you any idea what time it is here?"  
  
He looked at his watch, which was still set to Hawaiian time, and saw that it was very early there and managed to look sheepish for a moment. Stephanie hated to be woken up before nine o'clock, she always said she wasn't pretty then, even though secretly, he thought she was always beautiful.  
  
"Sorry, but still, you won't guess where I am?"  
  
"Where are you Chris? A whorehouse, crackhouse, don't keep it a secret from me."  
  
"Stephanie McMahon's grave."  
  
There was a pause on the line and then a peal of laughter, "What the hell are you doing there?"  
  
"Just thought I'd see it again," he told her, "I mean, it does hold a lot of sentimentality. I wish that I had brought some flowers to put on it, they could've joined the other ones that are here."  
  
"There are flowers on my grave," she said, "What are they?"  
  
"Not her favorite, I'll tell you that," he said, "You'd think they could at least buy her flowers that she liked."  
  
"Jericho," a new voice interrupted.  
  
Chris turned around, surprised that anyone would be there the same time that he was. But as he saw Hunter's hunched over form, holding another bouquet of flowers, he wasn't surprised at all. In fact, it was something he had almost expected to see. Hunter was looking at him, confused to see him there.  
  
"Chris, what the hell is going on?" Stephanie's voice said over the line, it seemed like minutes since he had said anything.  
  
"Nothing," Chris told her, "Nothing at all, I'll call you later alright, I have...business to take care of."  
  
"Christopher Jericho, you better tell me what the fuck is going on right now," Stephanie demanded, "You married me and that means no fucking secrets, don't you remember our fucking wedding vows?"  
  
"Yes, I do," he said, "But this is neither the time nor the place to discuss that."  
  
"Do you ever want me to fuck you again?"  
  
"I said a different time, alright," he said, starting to get testy as he watched Hunter walk by him up to Stephanie's grave.  
  
"I find this unacceptable," Stephanie spat out, "I'm stuck here while you're off doing God knows what, are you with another woman right now, because if this is your perverse way of getting off by calling your wife while you're fucking some whore, then tell me now so I can come strangle you and throw your body into the ocean. I don't think anyone would miss you."  
  
"Wouldn't you?" he said, his voice lowering.  
  
"Nah, I'd consider it an improvement," she countered, "I'm sure there's another man who could satisfy me whenever I wanted."  
  
"Nice to know I'm just your plaything."  
  
"Oh, does the truth hurt," she told him, "I hope it stings Chris."  
  
"I will call you back in an hour, you better be up because I don't want to have to leave a fucking message on the machine that you will ignore and then you'll call and ask why I didn't call you. I find THAT unacceptable."  
  
"I love when you get angry," she whispered, "I'll be anxiously waiting for your call."  
  
Chris hung up the phone and smirked to himself. Here he was, five feet away from Hunter, talking to Stephanie, and the bastard had no idea. This was stuff that dreams were made of. Well, sick and twisted dreams, but those were sometimes the best kind to have. He saw Hunter set down some flowers onto the grave and he shoved his phone in his pocket before walking over.  
  
"I haven't been here since her funeral," Chris started, trying to sound like he was upset, or something akin to that.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Hunter asked, not caring what Chris was saying. Now that the man was here, the words in that letter came flooding back to him. What if Stephanie and Chris had slept together? Why would she have done that? And why hadn't Chris apologized for it?  
  
"I was in the state, went do business at Titan," Chris said, walking closer, "Vince comes in and invites me to a dinner in Stephanie's honor. And who am I to pass that up?"  
  
"You're not seriously going to come are you?"  
  
"Well, I was invited," Chris smirked, "Doesn't that imply that I should go?"  
  
"She wouldn't have wanted you there," Hunter told him, shaking his head, "She hated you, you know."  
  
"Oh, I hated the little bitch too," Chris said with a laugh, "Hated her until the moment she died."  
  
Hunter stormed up to Chris and got right in his face, the anger flashing in his eyes. Chris could see that he was just about ready to kill because Chris had uttered something mean about his poor, precious Stephanie. What a crock this was. Chris smiled cockily and stood there calmly as Hunter balled his fists at his side. Chris cocked his head to the side a little bit, as if daring Hunter to hit him, just once, just one time so that Chris could finally kick that man's ass for what he had done.  
  
"How dare you talk about her like that!"  
  
"Like what? I believe I said at her fucking funeral that I hated her, for a lot of things...including what she did to me."  
  
"You didn't know her, you thought you knew her, but you didn't!"  
  
Chris laughed at Hunter's blindness of the entire situation. That statement did not hold true to Hunter. He didn't know Stephanie, he still didn't have any idea about what Stephanie was about. Stephanie would rather be out crushing people like the bugs that they were than be some fucking debutante at the ball. Chris took a step back to get some personal space and shrugged.  
  
"Maybe I didn't know her," Chris said, "But I'm seriously doubting that you knew her either. Oh the mysterious Stephanie McMahon, I'm sure she went to her grave holding on to secrets that nobody will ever know."  
  
"She didn't love you," Hunter said, "You probably wanted her to love you, but she loved me."  
  
"Get your head out of your ass Trips, I didn't care whether or not Stephanie loved me, that was completely inconsequential to anything. The fact of the matter is, did she really love you?"  
  
"She loved me," Hunter said, "I was the man she was going to marry."  
  
"Yes, yes you were. Too bad that didn't work out for you though," Chris said, "Too bad for everything really. But leave it to Stephanie to go out with a bang right. It's almost...Juliet-like if you think about it long and hard."  
  
Chris was baiting Hunter as he knew it too. Hunter was just standing there as Chris walked up to Stephanie's headstone, running his finger across the top of it, the marble cool to the touch.  
  
"I mean, she dies the morning of your wedding, the MORNING of your wedding. Wow, she must have really wanted out of your wedding. Unless she's not even dead at all, then she really would've pulled a Juliet on you."  
  
"She didn't want to leave me," Hunter said, the tears coming to his eyes, "She told me she loved me right before she died. In a hospital bed, and you weren't there, you didn't see her!"  
  
"Well thank God for that. I'm not big on the whole 'dying' thing, you know. I mean, seeing someone actually die. Not my idea of a good time."  
  
"How can you be so fucking nonchalant?" Hunter was thoroughly disgusted by Chris's behavior and attitude towards Stephanie's death. He was still the heartless bastard he had always been, and now Hunter could see that.  
  
"Because she didn't mean anything to me," he lied, "Why should I care? The bitch betrayed me, I don't have any feelings one way or another over her death. As far as I'm concerned...good riddance."  
  
If Stephanie had heard that, she would've given him a dirty look before throwing her head back in laughter. But Hunter was showing barely contained anger, just like Chris had expected him too. This was almost too easy. Riling up Hunter was a nice game and it gave Chris practice for when he and Stephanie really got into their plans. He smirked when he thought about his wife, HIS wife, not Hunter's. How did he get so lucky as to not only get a hot wife, but also kick a guy while he was down by taking said woman away from him?  
  
"Take that back."  
  
"Nah," Chris said, "I guess I'll see you at the dinner. It should be--"  
  
His phone rang. He looked at it. It was Stephanie.  
  
"What did I tell you?"  
  
"That you would call me back, but I don't trust you," she said, "Because if you're with a whore then you'll probably take longer."  
  
"What is with you and thinking I'm cheating on you?"  
  
"Oh, you know," she said softly, "I'm so fucking insecure that I think you're going to stray from me. So where the fuck are you?"  
  
"Same place I was when you called before."  
  
"Well, what the hell came up then? Ooh, was it Hunter, tell me it was Hunter and I will squeal like a little girl on Christmas morning!"  
  
"Yes, it is," he said with a smile, looking over at Hunter, "That's exactly it."  
  
"Ooh, and I hope you are making him miserable."  
  
"Like you wouldn't believe."  
  
"I love it," she said evilly, "Oh, and at my grave too. What are the freaking odds? I mean, of all the places to just run into him, at my grave, the symbolism baby, the symbolism, it's so...well, I don't know, but it's deliciously evil."  
  
"We're not done here Jericho."  
  
"I think we are Trips," Chris shot back, "Cause in case along with losing Stephanie, you lost your eyesight, I'm on the phone, with someone else who I would much rather talk to than you."  
  
"And who would that be? Some little ring rat or something, a cheap slut. Because I'm sure that's the only thing that would want to be with you. I guess you had to settle for the cheap ones after Stephanie didn't want you," Hunter said, puffing his chest out a little, proud of what he had just said.  
  
Chris scoffed, was this guy for real? "Not that it's any of your business, cause I assure you Trips, its not, but I'm on the phone with my wife."  
  
"Wife! Yeah right," Hunter guffawed, "I'd like to see the bitch that would settle for you. She blind or something?"  
  
"No, in fact she's better than anyone you could get," Chris said, "In fact, I don't see you with anyone, are you with anyone? Have you been with anyone or are you too busy pining after a dead woman?"  
  
"Good one baby," Stephanie said over the line.  
  
"I swear to God, if you say anything else about Stephanie, I will send you home in a body bag."  
  
"Wow, a threat, a threat from a man currently wearing sweats. She died a YEAR ago Trips, don't you think it's time to move on? Oh wait, I'm sorry, you'd rather just pretend she's on vacation. Now tell me Trips, and be honest here, do you wear her clothes? Do you sleep in one of her old pajama sets or anything, maybe do your cooking in an old evening gown?"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Wow, no denial or anything! It takes a big man to admit wearing his dead fiancée's clothes."  
  
"I could hit you right now, but I'm taking the high road."  
  
"How very big of you, Stephanie would've wanted it that way right? I mean, she never would've wanted you to hit me. She wouldn't have done anything of the sort!"  
  
"That's right."  
  
"God, did you know her at all?" Chris shot at him, "Did you even pretend to?"  
  
"I knew her, so much better than you did."  
  
Chris stalked up to Hunter, "Then you would know she'd want you to hit me."  
  
"Go to hell Jericho."  
  
"See you there Trips."  
  
Hunter turned to walk away and Chris called out, "Actually, I'll just see you at Stephanie's dinner."  
  
Chris smiled as Hunter walked away, sullen. Oh, how he loved to mess with Hunter. Just for that, maybe he'd put Hunter into some kind of romance angle with someone, something really hot. That should put him on edge for a while. He turned back to Stephanie's headstone and his eyes widened as he realized she was still on the phone that he was holding in his left hand. He brought it up to his ear quickly.  
  
"Sorry, I almost got hit by the Connecticut asshole, very rare species indeed."  
  
"No really, because I couldn't hear the conversation you were just having," Stephanie snotted sarcastically.  
  
"It's times like these, I wonder why I--"  
  
"Even go away and leave me alone," Stephanie supplied, "I don't know why. You're thousands of miles away. Something could happen to me, I could be kidnapped or drown in the ocean, and you'd be so far away."  
  
"I think both kidnappers and the ocean would throw you back," Chris told her.  
  
"You should've told him about us sleeping together."  
  
"Yeah, and get his suspicions up. No way Stephanie. We play this cool, and slow like we planned."  
  
"Fine, whatever you say. You just go to that dinner, and you charm the asses off of my parents, and then make it difficult for Hunter to get a word in edgewise. I don't want them thinking you're an asshole, because I want them to think you are just the second coming, and that Hunter is the bad guy in this situation. I will make that man pay for what he did until the day he dies. Like that old quote says, 'May you live to be one hundred and may the last voice you hear be mine,' and I want the last voice Hunter hears to be mine."  
  
"You'll get what you want babe, you'll get what you want." 


	3. Chapter 3

Chris stood at the McMahon's doorstep. He had only been here once before, as surprising as that was. He laughed about that one time thought. It was the night that Stephanie had "died." She had wanted to celebrate, and her parents had been at Hunter's house trying to comfort him, since he had just about had a nervous breakdown that evening. It had gone around the locker room and management that he had tried to kill himself or something. That night had been fun for him and Stephanie though, but he hadn't been here since then.  
  
He rang the doorbell. He wondered who was going to answer the door. It would be great if it was Hunter, but if he wanted to start sweet-talking Linda and Vince, he needed to start as soon as possible. Preferably without Hunter around. To his happiness, Linda answered the large oak door as soon as that thought entered his mind.  
  
"Chris, hello," Linda said cordially, "It's so nice of you to come."  
  
"Thank you for inviting me, Linda," Chris said politely, trying to put his best face forward, "I didn't know if you wanted me to bring anything so I just brought Stephanie's favorite wine. I thought on an occasion such as this one, we should try to think of Stephanie more than anything else. She was such a beautiful person that we should celebrate the things she loved."  
  
Linda smiled wistfully, "That was beautiful, thank you, it's so thoughtful of you to do this. Come in."  
  
Chris stepped into the foyer and was delighted to see who was sitting in the living room, of which he could see from where he was standing. Drinking what appeared to be a scotch, sat Shane, and Chris saw the smug look on his face, like he was enjoying the day. Chris was sure that he was, if only because he was glad that Stephanie was dead. For that thought, he would pay. Chris did love Stephanie after all, and for that his vengeance seemed warranted.  
  
"Shane," Chris nodded.  
  
"Chris," Shane nodded back. It was all very formal, but Shane was looking at him in such a way that made Chris want to pound his face through a wall.  
  
"I'm going to put this wine in the kitchen to chill and check on dinner, make yourself at home Chris," Linda told him as she exited the room.  
  
"So you got suckered into this too?" Shane said as he drank his scotch.  
  
Chris sat down and smirked. In a way, what he said was completely correct, he HAD been suckered into this by Stephanie, but that was hardly being suckered at all. Chris also didn't care for Shane's implication that Stephanie wasn't worth remembering, but then Chris did know that Stephanie was alive and well.  
  
"You can say that," Chris finally answered. "You can say a lot of things actually."  
  
"Yes, I cannot believe I was forced to come to this silly tribute to a sister I'd rather forget I ever had."  
  
"I agree," Chris responded, "Good riddance right?"  
  
"Exactly," Shane laughed, a harsh, maniacal laugh, "Have you seen Hunter though? Acts like it was the end of the world."  
  
Chris had to genuinely laugh at that. At least Shane appreciated the hilarity that was Hunter. It was such a shame that he would have to destroy him eventually. Ok, so it wasn't a shame at all. Chris didn't need more than a moment to remember that this man had hurt his wife; he had kicked her, hit her, and for that he was going to have to answer to him.  
  
"I ran into him at Stephanie's grave," Chris told him, "It was really funny."  
  
"Yeah, he goes there every damn day. I bet her headstone is the cleanest in that whole fucking cemetary."  
  
"Looked like it."  
  
"What were you doing there?"  
  
"Just wanted to see it," he shrugged, "I don't really give a fuck about it. I just wanted to see it." That was completely the truth, why would he want to see something that was so fucking morbid when the person it was for was always waiting for him at home, ready and waiting to fuck?  
  
"Yeah, I get you. You want to hear something funny?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Someone sent me this fucking letter, and its supposedly from Stephanie, and she's swearing her vengeance on me. It's probably some sick joke from someone. Like Stephanie is going to suddenly rise from the dead to get me."  
  
Ignorant fool. So casually disregarding something that was going to come into play again and again. Chris turned his head away for a moment and scowled. It took all of his will-power to not tell this man that he had better take that letter seriously, because the consequences...well, if the consequences went according to plan, things would be very different in Shane's life.  
  
"How do you know it was fake?" Chris asked him nonchalantly.  
  
"Come on, like Stephanie can actually do anything, she's probably been eaten by maggots by now."  
  
Chris cracked his neck, a thing he did when he got angry and was trying to compose himself, "Its probably just a letter she gave a lawyer or something that got sent to you."  
  
"You're probably right," he said, "Like I'd ever be afraid of her."  
  
"Yeah, she wasn't capable of doing much, was she?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
No, she was only capable of making people's lives miserable, sending people to jail, and faking her own death. Those weren't big accomplishments by any means. He was saved from anymore conversation as Linda came back into the room with Vince in tow. Chris was very nice to the both of them and they all discussed Stephanie for a little while, Chris just listened as Linda and Vince reminisced about Stephanie. Luckily in his time with Stephanie, he had become immune to guilt and sympathy and felt nothing as Linda started to cry silently. He sat there, his face stalwart, yet with a look of fake pity on it. He had become a master at acting like he cared, when his mind was on what Stephanie was doing right now, and if she was as bored as he was.  
  
"Hello everyone."  
  
Chris practically yawned as he looked up at Hunter. He was now in actual pants, instead of sweat pants and looked like he had really combed his hair this time. He went over and hugged Linda, the two of them holding onto each other for a long while, and he thought he heard a small whimper from Hunter causing him to look down to stop the laugh from escaping his mouth.  
  
"Hunter, nice to see you again," Chris said as Hunter took a seat on one of the armchairs.  
  
"Jericho."  
  
"I saw Hunter today at Stephanie's grave," Chris said, "I was going there to reflect for a little while, you know, remember the good times."  
  
He sent Linda and Vince a smile that echoed theirs in remembering their daughter. Hunter scowled to himself and Chris even sent him a small, smug little grin. It was like they were in competition right now, and they both knew it. Only Chris knew he was already the winner in this scenario.  
  
"Steph and I would've been married a year," Hunter said.  
  
Ok, that cause Chris to let out a little laugh, but luckily he covered it up by drinking from the glass of scotch that Linda had gotten for him. He thought back to his own anniversary with Stephanie, THEIR one year anniversary. If he could just lord that over Hunter's head, if he could just blurt out that he was married to Stephanie and they had a spectacular life, but no, watching Hunter be absolutely miserable was about five hundred times better than that.  
  
"Oh Hunter," Linda said, reaching over to pat his knee, "Remember the time before that, how excited she was for the wedding."  
  
"Yeah, she was excited."  
  
Yeah, about excited as someone walking to an execution. Chris gulped his drink down quickly, trying to bite his tongue from saying things that he wasn't meant to be saying to anyone. He set his glass down on the flowery coaster on the coffee table and put a kind smile on his face.  
  
"That must be really tough Hunter," he said sympathetically, "I mean, you had everything planned, but you know, I'm sure she would've loved the wedding and everything."  
  
"Chris is right," Linda told Hunter, "She would've been so happy."  
  
A timer dinged and Linda announced that it was dinnertime. Standing up, grateful for the interruption of the "Let's Cheer Up Hunter Show," Chris followed the others into the dining room. He sat down next to Shane and across from Hunter. Linda went and got the food and started putting it out on the table. Everyone served themselves, and Chris was eating and discussing storylines with Vince when his cell phone rang.  
  
"I'm sorry about this, it's probably my wife," Chris said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.  
  
"I didn't know you were married Chris," Linda said.  
  
"Yeah, for a year," he said, emphasizing the "year" part of the sentence, and sending a quick glance at Hunter," This shouldn't take long, I swear."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Vince said.  
  
He stood up and turned his back to the table, taking a few steps away from everyone else before he answered the phone, "Hello?"  
  
"Are you at the dinner?"  
  
"Yes, I am," he said, smiling to himself as he spoke in hushed tones, "Just sat down for the food."  
  
"How's it been going?"  
  
"Boring," he said, with an obligatory eye-roll, "Everything has to do with Stephanie, and you know how much I hate talking about her."  
  
"Oh, you poor thing," she said in mock sympathy, "But I'm sure its worth it right, tell me its worth it Chris."  
  
"Very worth it," he told her, "You should've seen Hunter's face when he said they should've been married for a year, it was pathetic, so pathetic."  
  
"Oh, you have to tell me all about it before I go to sleep tonight, I'm sure it'll give me such nice dreams."  
  
"It will," he smiled, "I better go though, I think Hunter is giving me the evil eye right now. He's upset that I'm so rudely interrupting Stephanie's night."  
  
"Oh yeah, and Stephanie would love Hunter to be the facilitator of that kind of night. Give him an evil eye for me. Actually...Chrissy baby, why don't you excuse yourself to the bathroom in like ten minutes and then really fill me in on the goings on."  
  
"Fine, but you do know if you weren't exactly who you are, I wouldn't do jack shit for you."  
  
"Then I'm certainly lucky that I have you wrapped around my little finger, aren't I?"  
  
"You wish," he scoffed.  
  
"See you in a few."  
  
"A few."  
  
Chris hung up the phone and stuck it back in his pocket. Well, that had improved his mood greatly. Here he was, a few feet from Stephanie's entire family and ex-fiancé and he had been talking to her all this while. He sat back down and sent a look to Hunter who gave him a dirty look.  
  
"I'm really sorry about that," Chris said again, "I never know when she's going to call."  
  
"What's your wife's name?" Linda asked.  
  
"Mary," he said, "We got married about a year ago, very small ceremony, just the two of us actually, in a chapel at night, like a hundred candles burning around us. We just wanted it to be us and the minister."  
  
"That sounds so lovely, how come she didn't make the trip with you?"  
  
"She's not much of a traveler."  
  
"That's too bad, we would have invited her to come," Linda told him.  
  
"That's nice of you."  
  
Chris went back to his meal and just listened to everyone's conversation. Hunter was talking about putting Stephanie's clothes away or something and Chris just concentrated on the meat sitting on his plate. It was then that he realized for the first time that this wasn't just Stephanie's family, this was HIS family too. Linda and Vince were his parents-in-law and Shane was his brother-in-law. Hunter was nothing to him, as usual, but the others, he was related to, and they didn't even know it. Wow, what a strange thought, he was actually related to these increasingly boring people.  
  
"Linda, where's your bathroom?" Chris asked politely.  
  
"Oh, its just down the hall and the third door to the right."  
  
"Thanks," he said, getting up.  
  
He sighed as he left the room and leaned against the wall for a moment. That revelation of them being his family had come crashing down on him pretty hard and pretty quickly. That wasn't a welcome thought at all. He pushed himself off the wall and went down to the bathroom, ready to tell Stephanie everything that was happening, even though she would probably be bored. These people needed more spice in their life.  
  
He counted the doors and stepped in front of the bathroom. He opened the door to the dark room and turned on the light. There were few moments where Chris was actually speechless, most of those moments involved Stephanie, and this was no exception. Sitting there, smirking playfully at him, was Stephanie. She was sitting with her legs crossed in between the two marble sinks. Chris stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do.  
  
"Well, are you just going to sit there or are you going to say hello like a normal human being?"  
  
"A normal human being huh? A normal human being who was supposed to be dead would not show up in her parent's home while they're here on the anniversary of their death."  
  
"I'm not normal."  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" he said, closing the door tightly behind him as he walked into the bathroom.  
  
"I just came to visit my husband, is that such a crime?" she asked innocently, uncrossing, then crossing her legs again.  
  
He looked her over, she was looking especially beautiful tonight. She was wearing a black tank top with a crossover front and it was very low-cut, showing off her cleavage, which Chris stared at hungrily. She was also wearing a white silk and cotton asymmetrical skirt that fluttered silently when she crossed her legs again.  
  
"It's a crime when you break and enter," he told her.  
  
"I have a key," she said, holding it up for him to see, "So how can I be breaking and entering when I have the key?"  
  
He stepped in front of her, "Where are your shoes?"  
  
"Too loud, can't sneak into a house with shoes on," she said, rolling her eyes, "Have I taught you nothing at all?"  
  
"You've taught me plenty," he said, "And there's been something I've wanted to do for days, and I haven't been able to."  
  
He leaned forward and kissed her passionately, reaching up to run his hands through her short hair. He pulled away abruptly when he felt her hair and looked at her breathlessly. He took a step back and she smirked before shaking her hair out. Instead of the short, black curls that he had gotten used to over the past year, she had short, red hair that was spiked out at the sides.  
  
"You like it?"  
  
"You look so sexy," he said to her.  
  
"Thanks, now how about you finish what you started, you can't leave a girl all hot and bothered like that. What are you, some kind of tease?"  
  
"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who used to constantly tease me, and then renege on the offer as soon as I was willing."  
  
"You were never willing. I had to break you down slowly."  
  
"Or you had to get caught up in a plan that forced me to fuck your brains out," he told her, brushing his lips against hers softly, barely touching her at all.  
  
"I enjoyed that immensely," she answered, "Shouldn't you be leaving now? Wouldn't want to keep the others waiting would you?"  
  
"They can wait a few seconds, they're all so damn boring anyways, they probably won't even care that I'm gone."  
  
He slid his hand up her thigh, going farther and farther up her skirt, causing it to start to bunch around her mid-section. He leaned in to kiss her fervently as his hand kept going up her long leg. He reached the top and expected to find his destination, but was pleasantly shocked to find he had no destination in sight.  
  
"No underwear," he murmured against her lips.  
  
"They were too loud, can't sneak into a house with panties on."  
  
"Now who's the tease?"  
  
"Not teasing, just giving you a preview of later tonight," she said, "I mean, you know, I had to drop by to pick up your hotel room key."  
  
"You could've just asked for my room number."  
  
"But Chrissy baby, you forget that I can't so easily get down on my knees to give the hotel guy a blow job to get that kind of information. I have a husband now."  
  
Chris frowned, "Yeah, a husband who doesn't want to hear about his wife's former escapades."  
  
"Ooh, you are a sexy beast when you're jealous," she said, licking her lips, "Almost makes me want to go tell Hunter I'm alive just to see you fight for my honor. You would fight for my honor, right Chrissy?"  
  
"What honor?"  
  
She gasped in mock surprise and then took his hand and put it on the top of her breast, "Feel that? That's my heart breaking right in two at the cruelty of that statement. I'm your wife Chrissy and you shouldn't treat me so harshly, especially since I love you."  
  
He picked her up and set her back down on her feet in front of him. She reached her hand out and then slowly let it descend into his right pocket. She took it out and then put her other hand in his left pocket. Then she took her other hand and reached into his back pocket. Smiling, she pulled her hand out and held up the hotel key card.  
  
"Found it. Now you can go back to your dinner party."  
  
"I think it was mentioned we were going to watch home movies," he said, yawning dramatically. "The last thing I need to see is more of you."  
  
"Oh, so does that mean you don't want to see me naked?" She readjusted her skirt so that it was straight again.  
  
"I can make exceptions."  
  
"I thought you would say that."  
  
He slapped her ass, and kissed her again, "I love you, I'll see you later, and make sure you don't get caught."  
  
"I won't, nobody knew I came in, nobody will know I went out."  
  
He winked at her before leaving the bathroom, shutting off the light. He walked back into the dining room to find everyone pretty much finished with their meal. He wasn't hungry, so it was fine they were done, he'd eat with Stephanie later. He sat down and made his apologies, saying that he needed to call home again and that was what had taken him so long. After the dishes had been clear, they all proceeded into the living room for the aforementioned home movies, but Hunter made Chris hang back.  
  
"What's the matter Hunter?" Chris said distractedly.  
  
"Look, I know you didn't want to come tonight, and I didn't want you to come tonight, so why don't you just get the hell out of here."  
  
Chris rolled his eyes, "I don't think it was you who invited me, now was it?"  
  
"You didn't care about Stephanie!"  
  
"Now where did you get that idea?" Chris smiled cruelly, "Stephanie and I, we were the best of friends for a while there, of course I'd want to remember her memory, there's a few other things I'd like to remember too."  
  
Hunter grabbed Chris by the collar, "Just leave! Nobody wants you here."  
  
Chris smiled and then looked over Hunter's shoulder. Stephanie was walking calmly down the hall and towards the front door. She saw what Hunter was doing and raised her eyebrow in question. Chris just took a step back from Hunter and watched as Stephanie blew him a silent kiss and then made a little knife stabbing motion towards Hunter. Chris held in his laugh and started to cough loudly to muffle the sounds of Stephanie exiting out the door.  
  
"No, I don't think I'll leave just yet," he said as he dusted himself off, "I just can't wait to watch those home movies."  
  
Later that evening, Chris walked to his hotel room. He was tired and irritated. Those videos had been boring, and seeing everyone, except Shane, gush over Stephanie was a little nauseating, even he, who loved her the most, didn't gush about her...well, ever. He knocked on his door since Stephanie had the key to the room.  
  
"Oh Billy, is that you, finally," Stephanie said, opening the door, "Oh, it's just you."  
  
"Funny," he said, "I've had a hell of a night, make it better."  
  
She rubbed his temples slowly, before moving her hands slowly down to his shoulders and then to his button-down shirt, unbuttoning every button slowly and with extreme care, like she was afraid that they would break off with the slightest touch. Once all the buttons were unbuttoned, she ran her hands agonizingly slow up his chest and pushed his shirt off of his body, letting it fall to the floor.  
  
Tired of this slow shit, Chris pulled her flush against him and kissed her hungrily. She welcomed his embrace and he pulled away to rip her shirt over her head. He then unhooked her bra and she unbuckled his belt and practically pulled his pants off without pulling them down. During all of this, their mouths were still connected, with only a slight break to get her shirt off.  
  
"Wait, tell me what happened? Why did Hunter have you by the collar?"  
  
"No, sex."  
  
"I'll fuck you later, now I want to hear."  
  
"He didn't want me there," he said, leading them over to the bed. She took charge and pushed him down on the bed.  
  
"You can't have the goods until I get the information."  
  
She squealed when he grabbed her by the ass and pulled her on top of him. It was very hard not to lose herself in him and if she didn't have such pressing questions, she would've noticed something pressing against her thigh. She pulled away though, pushing the soft strands of hair out of her face and tried to regain both her breath and her composure.  
  
"So Shane? What about him?"  
  
Chris growled and tried to pull her down on top of him again, but she put her hands on his chest, "Stephanie, I haven't seen you in days, I have fucking needs!"  
  
"You had needs when we weren't together, just do what you did then," she snapped.  
  
"Yes, but at least then I didn't have you staring at me, topless and with no underwear on underneath your skirt."  
  
"Then be fucking patient," she said, "And give me the information."  
  
"What if I don't?"  
  
"Then you can kiss these goodbye," she said, giving him a look.  
  
"Fine, I can find ones just as good somewhere else."  
  
"You infuriate me," she told him.  
  
"You drive me crazy."  
  
"I love you," she said, her voice smoldering with passion.  
  
"I love you," he said, returning her phrase and pushing her over so that he was on top of her. He pulled away and pulled her skirt down roughly, "Now give me what I want."  
  
"You get what you want, when I get what I want."  
  
"No."  
  
"You better!"  
  
"Or what?"  
  
"Or I call my mom and tell her that it's Stephanie."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"Wouldn't I?"  
  
"Shane disregarded it, he doesn't care, doesn't think it was you, he doesn't care." Jericho leaned down to kiss her, now that he had given up his information.  
  
"Now was that so hard?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well then, next time, give me what I want to hear before you go crazy."  
  
"Fine," he said grudgingly.  
  
"Now as for Shane, we'll make him believe." 


	4. Chapter 4

Stephanie kissed Chris's bare shoulder and moved her way up to his mouth. Chris woke up after that and yawned, stretching his arms way above his head and hitting the top of the headboard of the bed. It took him a mere second to remember that he was in a hotel and not at his luxurious island paradise. But at least Stephanie was here to fulfill his basest need and not thousands of miles away.  
  
"Again?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
"You're not tired of me yet," Stephanie said with a lilting sigh, "I guess my beauty just overwhelms you to the point where you can't do anything but want to have sex with me endlessly."  
  
"Oh, that's exactly it," he said smarmily as he lifted the sheet to stare at her body, "Definitely that."  
  
She climbed out of bed and started heading for the bathroom, "So what are you supposed to do today? Go to a parade in my honor? Are my parents going to have a banquet in my name? Or perhaps Hunter will break down and cry again? In which case, I want to be there to see it first hand."  
  
"I'm going to the show."  
  
She stuck her head out from the bathroom, "The show as in, Raw."  
  
"Stephy dear, what other show would I be talking about?"  
  
"Don't get crass with me," Stephanie told him, "And what do you expect me to do while you're at the show? Toil away in the hotel room with nothing to do. Are you sure you want someone as good-looking as me alone in here with an entire hotel staff at her disposal, especially with that hot guy running the desk around."  
  
"I would leave you here, because I know that if you were to do anything, I would throw you out on your ass so fast and take all your money, because Stephy, you're dead remember."  
  
"Dead only in the mind of those too stupid to figure out otherwise, which is...the entire population."  
  
"Not everyone can be like us."  
  
"God forbid, talk about cheap knock-offs," she answered as she turned on the shower. "It's decided then, I'll come with you."  
  
"Who the hell decided that?"  
  
"I did, and what I say goes around here."  
  
"I think you have the hierarchy of this relationship a little skewed," Chris told her.  
  
Stephanie stepped in the doorway, still completely nude, "Look at me and tell me I don't have the power in this relationship, I dare you Chris."  
  
Chris stood up and walked over to her, "You don't have the power in this relationship."  
  
"I beg to differ my friend."  
  
"Friend? We're not friends, we're barely married."  
  
She scowled at him, "Is that your twisted way of saying you want a divorce?"  
  
He ran his hand down her hip, "Divorce you? I'd never do it."  
  
She smirked and languidly kissed him, "You love me too much."  
  
"If I recall, it was you who made that confession first, so if anyone loves anybody else, you love me and don't forget that point either, because I won't take too kindly to it."  
  
"Join me in the shower," Stephanie said against his lips, teasing him with her tongue, "We can discuss strategy."  
  
Chris let her pull him into the shower playfully as she slammed him up against the shower wall. They spent a fair amount of time in there before climbing out and getting ready for the day. Stephanie had decided, with little regard to Chris's opinion, that she would accompany him to Raw tonight. She was in a short flowered skirt that wrapped around her waist and tied on one side and a muscle tank that clung to her body and was low- cut in the front. She put her ever-trusty sunglasses on to shield her eyes from the world.  
  
Chris got dressed as well as they went downstairs to get a bite to eat. They got down to the lobby and he made her give a little twirl for him, showing off her outfit, which accentuated her legs and Chris stared hungrily, almost wishing they had just stayed in their room the entire time and not come downstairs. Chris then looked over at her and winked playfully. She smacked her gum loudly as he ran a hand through her hair and kissed her deeply. As she pulled away she saw someone just getting off the elevators. She smiled evilly as she saw who it was.  
  
"Asshole, seven o'clock," Stephanie whispered.  
  
Chris glanced over his shoulder and chuckled, "Didn't figure we'd see him so soon, why is he staying in a hotel when he lives in Connecticut?"  
  
"Maybe because he couldn't stand to stay in the house any longer, where Stephanie's presence still lingers like the wafting scent of raspberries on a summer's day," Stephanie said dramatically.  
  
"Or maybe he's just pathetic."  
  
"He's wearing sweatpants, in the middle of the day...and something tells me he's not going to the gym, of course he's pathetic."  
  
"He misses his fiancée."  
  
"Yeah, well I miss my natural hair color, but you learn to get over things like that," Stephanie said, "God, you'd think he'd have learned by now that he was nothing to me but a pawn in a game. And not even a fun one at that."  
  
"And what game is fun?"  
  
"Mmm," Stephanie said, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "This one."  
  
She leaned over to kiss him, letting her tongue slip into his mouth. He held her with one arm around her waist and they both had no shame in their public display of affection. They just didn't give a damn about the rest of the world, unless they were thinking about what the world could do for them. Chris let his hand slide up her entire back and ran his hand through her hair.  
  
Hunter stopped to look over at who he thought was Chris Jericho. He couldn't see who it was because they were kissing a leggy redhead. The two people broke apart and Hunter did see that it was Chris Jericho and he was smirking at the woman. Hunter watched jealously as Chris slid a hand over the woman's ass and grabbed it slightly. Hunter saw the gleam of a wedding ring and realized that it must be Chris's wife.  
  
Everyone had been trying to figure out who this mystery woman was. Nobody had met her, but word was that they had been married secretly for a while and nobody even knew about it. Some even said that he probably wasn't married and was using it as a tool to get women to sleep with him, however preposterous that idea was. But seemed she was real, and she was hot.  
  
"Hunter, are you ready to go?"  
  
He glanced over at Edge. Ever since Stephanie had died, he had reevaluated everything and realized that he wanted to be friendlier to people. Being the asshole that he was, wasn't working for him anymore. So he had become one of the most popular superstars and many people considered him their friend. If only Stephanie had been here to see it, she would be so proud of him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready," he said, "Did you get a load of Jericho over there?"  
  
Edge looked over, "Who is that woman with him? She's fucking hot!"  
  
"I'm guessing that's his wife, check out the wedding ring," Hunter answered, "I've never seen her before."  
  
"Neither have I," Edge said, "But dude, if she were my wife, I'd be showing her off ALL the time."  
  
Hunter sighed a little, "Yeah."  
  
Edge mentally cursed himself, "I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to bring up anything."  
  
"It's fine, you know, I really should try to get over her."  
  
"That's a good way to look at it," Edge looked back over at Jericho and his wife as they walked out of the lobby, "You know, he took her death pretty hard at first. I mean, he actually quit his job."  
  
Hunter watched them walk down the street, Chris leering at his wife and rubbing her hip as they walked, "I don't think that bastard ever cared for her. You know, Stephanie mentioned him on her deathbed."  
  
"She did?"  
  
"Yeah, said he was her only friend," Hunter told him, remembering that day. That day, the day that was supposed to signal the joining of him and Stephanie, was forever implanted in his brain. He'd think about her, all the time, and see her, lying in that hospital bed. He missed her, more than he ever imagined, and he would give anything to have her back.  
  
Then that letter had come for him the other week. It had seemed to be in Stephanie's handwriting, but it had to have been a joke. A stupid, sick joke. If it wasn't, then why did it arrive a year after she had died? Unless she had planned it in case of her early demise. The letter had cut through his heart, and that's why he hated Chris Jericho, regardless if the letter was true or not. Just the thought made his blood boil.  
  
"Come on Hunt, forget about her, and let's go."  
  
"I wish I could forget Edge, I really wish I could."  
  
Chris pulled into a parking spot and she opened her door, sticking her long, bare leg out before getting out fully. She wasn't used to having to put that many clothes on, between being in such hot weather year round and then being with Chris didn't require a lot of clothing. She put her sunglasses back on as she looked up at the large arena. She didn't admit it, not even to Chris, but sometimes her heart ached to be back on the show, to be in front of the camera.  
  
Chris wrapped his arm back around her waist. "I have some things planned for tonight."  
  
"What's that?" Chris asked as he looked over at her.  
  
"Don't you worry about it," she told him, running a finger down his cheek playfully, "There are just some things a girl has to take care of alone."

"If you say so, who am I to argue with you?"  
  
They walked into the arena and first thing, Dawn ran down the hallway and into Chris, hugging him tightly. Chris rolled his eyes over to Stephanie and she gave him a look, her teeth gritted together. Chris was still liked among the company employees because they had no reason to hate him. It wasn't like they figured out he was behind everyone being miserable, and still was for that matter.  
  
"Chris, it's so great to see you," Dawn said as she pulled away.  
  
"Yes Dawn, you too," he said dully as he looked over at Stephanie.  
  
"Who's this?" Dawn asked as she looked over at Stephanie. There was probably no way that Dawn could recognize her. Stephanie and Chris had taken the utmost precautions in hiding Stephanie's real identity. In addition to the new hair and different colored eyes courtesy of contacts, Stephanie had gotten plastic surgery done on her chin to make it look less like the signature McMahon chin, and she had gotten those hideous breast implants taken out, so her chest didn't stick out six ways til Sunday. She looked more natural now, and was grateful for that, all her beauty was once again natural.  
  
Stephanie couldn't help but notice that it seemed that Dawn was asking because she wanted to hit on Chris herself. If anything, Stephanie was protective of the things she loved, which were few and far between, but Chris happened to be one of those things, and she was one person that shouldn't be messed with. Dawn better watch her language lest Stephanie decide that she wasn't finished with the ditzy brunette.  
  
"This is my wife, Mary," Chris responded, smirking in Stephanie's direction.  
  
"Oh my God, your wife! We all thought she was like a mythical creature or something because nobody knew anything about her."  
  
"If I were mythical creature, I doubt I'd be standing right here," Stephanie said in her perfected Southern accent. She had hired a top linguistics coach to help her get the right accent down. Just another precaution.  
  
"Well of course, it's so great to meet you."  
  
"Chrissy, can we go sit down, I'm feeling a little light-headed, I think someone is wearing too much perfume," she said to Chris, coughing a little for added effect. Dawn looked a little taken aback by that.  
  
"Sure, let's go," Chris said, as he grabbed Stephanie's hand and pulled her down the hallway, "Thank God I wasn't the only one who noticed the little tramp was wearing about three bottles of perfume."  
  
"If there were plants around, they would've surely died," Stephanie said cruelly as they turned the corner. "Can we please find your office, because there's something urgent I need to show you?"  
  
"What, are your tits cold and you need them warmed up?"  
  
"Very funny, let's just find the office and you let me show you what I want, and maybe you can show me what I want," she said playfully.  
  
"Or you can still show me what I want."  
  
"Get sex off the brain Chris before you spontaneously combust."  
  
They found his office and she walked inside purposefully and slammed the door behind her, locking it as well. She turned to Chris, who stood there with his arms folded, unimpressed by what she was doing so far. She glared at him a moment before reaching into her purse and pulling out a folded sheet of paper.  
  
"What the hell is that? Divorce papers?"  
  
"You only wish you son of a bitch," Stephanie said putting the paper on the table as she unfolded it numerous times to reveal a smaller version of what appeared to be blueprints.  
  
"So in your ultimate revenge, you're going to blow up an entire arena."  
  
She rolled her eyes as she threw off her sunglasses, "Only if there were certain people inside, but I'm not a fan of hurting innocent people...except when I'm feeling kicky."  
  
"So what's with the blueprints?"  
  
"Find Shane's office for me," she demanded.  
  
"If you don't stop ordering me around, I'll leave your scrawny ass."  
  
"You weren't calling it scrawny last night," she said seductively as she stood in front of him and lifted her leg to run her thigh against his hip. "Chris, baby, you want to do things for me because you love me."  
  
Chris put his hand to her cheek and kissed her roughly, "Don't try your manipulation tactics on me."  
  
"We both know you're going to go find it for me, so let's not beat around the fucking bush," she said as she pulled away, putting a safe distance between her and Chris.  
  
"Who the hell said I would do anything of the sort?"  
  
"Because you love me, isn't that enough!" she said loudly, tears coming to her eyes, "You love me and that's why."  
  
"Oh Goddammit Stephanie, don't pull out the fake tears for me. Those have never been able to persuade me, ever, and now you're just looking pathetic."  
  
Her face turned stony, "Fine, don't help me."  
  
"God knows I will," he said, "You just have to learn to be patient."  
  
"Yeah, and when that day comes, shoot me in the head while you're at it," she said, "Find me Shane's office so his dear, loving sister can find alternate routes to get to it."  
  
"Going to crawl through the vents like a common rat again Stephanie?"  
  
"I'm married to a rat, so I'm used to it."  
  
"I better get--"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, compensated, and you know I've never turned you away before, so find it for me and make sure you remember where it is, or I have no use for you."  
  
"And unless I'm in bed with you, I have no use for you," Chris spat.  
  
"Oh, lovely Chris, lovely," she said, raising her skirt a little before pulling it down.  
  
Chris muttered a curse word or two as he left the room, letting Stephanie close and lock the door behind him. The things he went through for that woman were tremendous, but at least he did get a lot of benefits. And he did love her, as loath as he was to admit it. He wandered around darkly for a while, saying strained hellos to people he hated. He found Shane's office, and noticed where he was, or else Stephanie was liable to kill him, or at least kick him in the crotch.  
  
He went back to his office and knocked three times, their "secret" signal. She opened the door, but he had to let himself in; she couldn't even open the door for him. She was sitting at the desk, a few papers around, crumpled up alongside a lighter.  
  
"You cannot torch anything in here, sprinkler system, and I would think you wouldn't want that fake ass color to wash out of your hair," he said.  
  
"I'll just flush them or something," she responded, a pen sticking out of her mouth as she thought. His eyes focused on that pen as she sucked on the end in concentration. She swirled her tongue around it. She looked up at him and saw him staring at her. "What the hell is your problem?"  
  
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, "Well, do you want to know where it is or not, or were you just leading me on a wild goose chase so you could get your kicks and giggles."

"Tell me where it is," she said smartly. He went over to the blueprints and pointed to where he remembered it to be. Stephanie smirked happily, "Oh, Mr. Shane McMahon, it's almost as if you want me to kick your ass and get my revenge."  
  
"Care to explain what this is all about, or are you just planning on leaving me in the dark?"  
  
"Don't get your panties in a bunch Christopher," Stephanie responded, "Look at the room, notice anything."  
  
"No," he said, not even looking. He wasn't interested in what was so different about Shane's office than any of the other rooms.  
  
"Well fine then, last time I include you in anything that has to do with me, including sexcapades."  
  
"Oh you! I'm so excited to know just what's going on."  
  
"His office has two doors asshole," she said, pointing to one than the other to get her point across. I need alternative ways of getting in and out so as not to be seen. This hallway is mostly for janitor's, so I have a way of getting in and leaving my own personal mark on Shane tonight."  
  
Now Chris was intrigued. "What kind of mark?"  
  
She pulled out a bottle of perfume she used to wear that everyone knew she wore, and then held up her notepad and it was only this moment he noticed she was wearing some black leather gloves. "These kind, and I'm trying to think of what to write."  
  
"I'll leave that up to you, since that is your area of expertise," he said, leaning across the desk to kiss her. She kissed him back with gusto, slipping her tongue into her mouth. "Now what part do I play?"  
  
"I need you to get Shane out of his office, shouldn't be too hard, tell him there's some hot chick waiting for him near the entrance, and that idiot will probably go running with his tongue down the ground, womanizing asshole."  
  
"And when there's no hot chick? He'll know something's up."  
  
"So go get a whore or something, say something that makes some modicum of sense and then be done with it. Tell him you have a storyline or some shit to take care of. I don't care how you do it Chris, just do it."  
  
"Stop talking like a fucking Nike ad, and I will."  
  
"Fine," she said, "Now help me think of something to write."  
  
Chris walked confidently towards Shane's office. He barged in and saw Stacy Keibler straddled out on Shane's lap. Chris rolled his eyes as she scrambled up and ran out of the room in embarrassment. Seems that Shane should be thanking Chris right about now, since it was his and Stephanie's little panty stunt that broke up Test and Stacy.  
  
"Why don't you knock next time?" Shane said angrily.  
  
"Look, when we're at the show, that means you're working, not trying to score with one of the biggest sluts in the company."  
  
"I think my sister still holds the record for being the biggest slut around here," Shane said, satisfied with his comment. Chris ran his tongue over his teeth and refrained from the smart remark and swift punch that he wanted to give Shane. Only he was allowed to insult Stephanie.  
  
"Look, we need to go to production and make sure everything is set for the show. I'm sure you can stop thinking about sex for a few minutes to actually do your job."  
  
"Don't forget I'm your boss Chris."  
  
"And don't forget that it's very easy to get incriminating photos," Chris shot back.  
  
"You haven't changed as much as other people have said."  
  
"Or maybe you just don't know me."  
  
"I like to think we're in the same boat Chris," Shane said, patting the blonde's back as they walked out of the room, "I mean, we're both good- looking guys who can have any chick they want. So why don't you come out with me tonight? We'll pick up some hot, young ones and by the morning, we'll never have to see them again."  
  
"I'm married in case you've forgotten from the other night," Chris said.  
  
"Every man strays once in a while."  
  
"I don't," Chris snapped and that was it.  
  
Stephanie saw them leave as she leaned against the wall. She scanned the hallways and saw that nobody was even looking in her direction. She slipped down the dark hallway lined with mops and other various janitorial tools. How unfortunate for her dumb-as-a-rail brother to pick this office for the night. It was like he wanted to be tortured. She peeked into his office from the door and saw nothing.  
  
Quietly tiptoeing inside, she put the letter on his desk right where his eyes would fall and sprayed the perfume around. She slipped out as quietly as she had gone in and waited in the dark for a few moments, making sure to see nobody passing by before she made her hasty escape to Chris's office. Shane walked back into his office and was met with the smell of lilacs that his nose remembered and had to remind his brain of. Stacy hadn't been wearing perfume had she, and even if she had, it hadn't been this strong. He sniffed again, and looked around, expecting someone to jump out from behind the couch or the desk, trying to scare him. He wasn't falling for this shit and sat down on his big, leather chair.  
  
Then he spotted the note on his desk, his name neatly scrawled on the top in familiar handwriting. Seeing and knowing that handwriting brought that smell back and in full force. He looked around, still trying to figure out if someone was playing some kind of sick joke. With a slightly trembling hand, he picked up the note and unfolded it.  
  
_Tell me you miss me. Please, tell me you miss me, because I miss you my dearest brother. It's so cold and dark here, so cold and dark, so cold and. . ._  
  
The writing tapered off at the end, fading out until he could barely make out the word, "and." Shane stood up abruptly, throwing the note on the ground. This had to be some sick joke, that note could NOT be from Stephanie. This wasn't some sort of "coming back from the dead" scenario. He didn't believe in shit like that. But the smell, her smell, everyone knew that Stephanie regarded that smell as her favorite on Earth, and it was still wafting in his office. But Stephanie was dead, and that was that.  
  
He just had to stop believing in nonsense like the supernatural.  
  
If it really was nonsense.


	5. Chapter 5

Chris leaned his head back against the couch in frustration. He had not been to a show in so long that it was grating on his nerves now. How he managed to put up with these people for years boggled his mind. Stephanie's soft, manicured hands rested lightly on his shoulders, rubbing them expertly, calming his tense nerves.  
  
"They're all idiots, every single person here is an idiot."  
  
"I know," she said as she kept rubbing his shoulders, "You don't ever have to tell me twice about the ingrates and dolts that fester in this company."  
  
He opened his eyes to stare at her face, "I wonder how Shane took the letter?"  
  
"With a seriousness that he should've had before. You don't mess with vengeance from beyond the grave," she said in a spooky voice. "But I shouldn't have expected any less from Shane, he never did feel that I was his equal."  
  
Whenever Stephanie brought up Shane and what had happened, Chris always became protective of her. He didn't know why exactly; the damage had already been done, but he could tell she was still sore about the subject. He loved her, and he hated to admit he cared about what she was feeling, beyond the lust and passion she felt for him and for revenge.  
  
"Well, he should have figured out you were his superior," Chris said haughtily.  
  
Stephanie smiled at him and then leaned down to kiss him, "You're in the same boat as I am Chrissy, and that's why these cockroaches are beneath us and give you headaches. But don't worry, later I'll make sure you feel all better."  
  
"I perish the thought of what would happen to me if you didn't," he smirked.  
  
"I do wonder what he thought about it, but then I'm too concerned about what I want to do to Hunter," Stephanie said, with an evil glint shining in her eyes.  
  
"You know what might be just cruel enough to be the calm before the storm," Chris said as he took Stephanie's hands and pulled her down so her head was resting on his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and then leaned her cheek against his head.  
  
"Sending Hunter a scrapbook filled with pictures of me?" she guessed.  
  
"No, I think I should use my writing abilities to help Hunter move on from this depression that has so eaten at his soul this past year."  
  
Stephanie pursed her lips, "Maybe I'm a bit rusty, but I'm not following here, what would you writing have to do with anything...unless...Chris, you aren't going to do that, are you!"  
  
"Don't act so shocked, it's not difficult when you think about it. Now which diva deserves the most loving from Mr. Helmsley?"  
  
"You are so sexy when you come up with good ideas," she told him as she started kissing his neck voraciously.  
  
"I haven't thought of whom I should put him with yet Stephanie."  
  
"Well, I'll let you think while I head out of here and get something to drink. I'm so parched, I could just fall over and die. And shame on you for not asking if I needed anything."  
  
"I thought you could handle things like drinking yourself Stephanie, am I wrong to assume so?"  
  
"No, but next time, ask me before I decide to ask someone else for something more than a glass of water," she told him.  
  
"Like you would."  
  
"Testing me, are we Chrissy?"  
  
"Just get out of here," he said, kissing her cheek.  
  
She stood up and ran her hands up to his shoulders, giving them one last rub before meandering to the door. She put her sunglasses on and blew him a kiss which he pretended to catch as she walked out of the room. It felt different being in these halls again. She was a new person now, better than the person that she was before. Before she had had to hide herself from everyone not actually showing her true colors. Chris never did that to her. Chris let her be who she was, for better or for worse.  
  
She crossed a little intersection where four of the halls met together. She looked down one and then down the other, trying to decide which way was better to go down. She wasn't lying when she had said that she was thirsty, and she did need some water.  
  
"You look lost."  
  
She didn't need to turn around to know who she was talking to. That voice, that irritating voice still grated on her nerves, even when she didn't hear it on a regular basis. She cringed to herself and prepared herself for the confrontation, even though it wasn't going to be as her true self, but the made up person she was around others.  
  
"I was a little bit," she answered, turning around and putting on her accent as well. Time to play her game. Hunter thought that he was the game, but he was just one part of a bigger game that Chris and Stephanie had always and would always control.  
  
"You're Chris Jericho's wife aren't you?" Hunter asked as Stephanie put on airs.  
  
"My, aren't you observant? What have you been doing, stalking me?"   
  
He laughed, "No, I just noticed you with him earlier. I'm Hunter."  
  
"Oh, well then you have a great memory."  
  
Hunter was attracted to her, she could tell that immediately upon looking at him. He had that look in his eye. She almost wanted to call it predatory, but it wasn't quite that. It was more like he was trying to be all macho, but really he was just a poor little peon who didn't know a damn thing about anybody.  
  
"I couldn't forget a pretty face like yours."  
  
Retch; Stephanie wanted to retch. "Well, that is flattering, but you already know I'm married, so I think this is pretty pointless."  
  
"Chris and the woman I was supposed to marry were best friends, I know Chris."  
  
"The woman you were supposed to marry? There must be a story behind that," Stephanie said smoothly, her face a passive mask, not showing emotion at all.  
  
Hunter's face on the other hand, seemed to crumble, almost comically. If she had been expecting this reaction, she was definitely getting her money's worth. She looked away for a second and patted her mouth as if to yawn. Hunter's eyes were even tearing up, the unshed tears glistening against the harsh lights of the hallway.  
  
"Are you ok?" Stephanie asked, feeling that's what the normal, sensitive person would say to a man who was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Sorry, my fiancée died the day we were supposed to get married and I still miss her."  
  
"How tragic," Stephanie said, "I'm sure you must be so torn up about it."  
  
"Yeah, I am, but you know, every day I just get up and I keep going because that's what Stephanie would have wanted me to do."  
  
Or she would've wanted you to get a freaking clue, Stephanie thought to herself. Obviously she couldn't say that to Hunter, but she was trying to send it to him via the power of her mind. She pretended to look sad and sympathetic, except she really wanted something to drink and this oaf was holding her up.  
  
"Wait," she said, smirking ever so slightly, "Stephanie? That sounds so familiar, would that be Stephanie McMahon?"  
  
"Yeah," Hunter said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a small smile, like he was remembering everything about her and it brought a smile to his face. "She was beautiful."  
  
"Oh yeah, I know about her," Stephanie said, "Chris talked about her to me, you know, about how they were best friends and everything. She gave him this letter that he has, it's some wonderful, beautiful stuff."  
  
"A letter?" Hunter said suspiciously.  
  
Stephanie didn't want to pull out all the big guns early or anything, but she hadn't expected to run into Hunter so early on in their plan. She didn't think that it would be such a problem to let Hunter in on the little secret that almost seemed detrimental to the plan. Hunter was about to get shocked back into reality.  
  
"Yeah, he received it about a year after she died. Which was recently wasn't it? I guess she had given them to someone or something and they sent it to him. It was really sweet."  
  
She watched as Hunter's face fell. If it fell anymore, it would be a lump on the ground. He was thinking about the own letter he had received and just what that letter had said. It had been filled with such venom and anger, and Chris had gotten a beautiful letter? Hunter had to see this letter for himself. He had to know what Stephanie had said.  
  
"What did it say?"  
  
"How he was her best friend, and how he never judged her and everything, I really don't remember," she said, giving him just the tantalizing taste before pulling back and giving him nothing. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm not the best at remembering things."  
  
"Mary? Did you get your water," Chris said, from down the hall. He had intended to just come find her, but to see her talking to Hunter; this was too good a thing to pass up walking into. He walked over and wrapped his arm around Stephanie's waist, rubbing the little bit of tanned skin that peeked from underneath her shirt.  
  
"No, I was just meeting this here feller, Hunter was your name right?"  
  
"Yeah," Hunter said, eyeing Chris, who was too busy staring at the long expanse that was Stephanie's neck.   
  
"We were just talking about that letter that Stephanie sent you a little ways back," Stephanie said, putting her hand in the back pocket of Chris's pants and rubbing his ass slightly as they talked.  
  
"Oh yeah, the letter," Chris said, staring at Stephanie who brought her lips together in a kind of kissy face.  
  
"What letter Jericho? You never told me about a letter," Hunter said, his voice getting angry now that he wasn't talking to the pretty lady.  
  
"Oh, just some dumb letter from Stephanie, I barely even read it," Chris said coolly, gaging Hunter's reaction.  
  
"What did it say?"  
  
"I forgot," Chris said, "It's not like I cared about that little bitch anyways, after what she did to me, it's a good think I fu--I couldn't stand her Hunter, and whatever that letter said, I could've given a rat's ass because the fact remains that Stephanie McMahon is out of my life and I'm all the better for it. I hope her corpse is rotting away right now, serves her right to be six feet under."  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Hunter roared, getting right in Chris's face, his eyes ablaze as he regarded the blonde.  
  
Stephanie, seeing the perfect opportunity in front of her, glided right in between Hunter and Chris, facing Hunter and smiling calmly. "Don't mind him Hunter, he misses her just as much as you do. Can't you see the man is just about torn up over it? I guess you can't see what's right there in front of your cute, little face. So why don't you just ease up on my husband and let bygones be bygones. There's no need for fighting around here."  
  
Hunter took a step back, his breathing still erratic, but he was able to calm himself if even for a moment. "I'm sorry, you're right."  
  
"Thank you," Stephanie said, rubbing his cheek, "You're such a kind, generous man, I hope we can be good friends."  
  
"Me too, see you around Mary."  
  
"Bye Hunter, now don't you go off and get yourself in trouble now, ya hear? I wouldn't want to have to break up any more fights."  
  
Hunter smiled, "I won't."  
  
Hunter walked off, feeling very good about himself. If he didn't know better, he would say that Mary was flirting with him. Right in front of Chris. He smirked at the thought of that, and then a little devious plan formed in his mind. Maybe he could do to Chris, what Chris had tried to do to him. He would try and steal his wife.  
  
Stephanie turned to Chris after Hunter had walked away a bit. "And how are you doing dumpling?"  
  
Chris chuckled, "What did I walk into?"  
  
"Why whatever do you mean? I was just having an innocent conversation with that man. I can't help it if you get all hot and jealous bout it, I'm just a poor, country girl."  
  
"Country my ass," Chris whispered into her ear, giving her earlobe a little tug with his teeth. He pushed Stephanie against the wall and kissed her roughly right there in the hallway. Stephanie wrapped one of her legs around him and pulled him closer, running her hands up and down his back. Hunter had the pleasure of turning around at this point and was disgusted by what he saw.  
  
Then the thought of the letter popped into his mind once again and he was reminded that he had gotten a letter as well and his letter had stated that she had slept with Chris. Slept with CHRIS! That thought almost made him want to crawl into a hole and die. His Stephanie with that...man; it just couldn't be possible and it be possible.  
  
"I thought we weren't bringing up the letter for a while," Chris whispered as he leaned his forehead against Stephanie's.  
  
"When the opportunity arises, you have to grab the bull by the dick and just take it from there," she said, certainly not mincing her words. "Hunter was going to find out eventually and why delay it when it makes me so hot to see him squirm like that."  
  
"You are a cold-hearted snake," Chris told her, "Have I told you that I love that about you?"  
  
"Don't give me all the kinds words Jericho, we both know that you hate to love me."  
  
"I might, but I still grudgingly admire you."  
  
"Then tell me how you want to do this now?"  
  
"I think that Stephanie's letter needs to make an appearance, and poor widdle Hunter is in for a rude awakening."  
  
"And when he finds out that you slept with his precious Stephanie?"  
  
"I sleep with his precious Stephanie every night," he whispered so silently she almost had to read his lips to figure out what he said.  
  
"Oh, you coy boy, I meant the one time where you took her right on the couch that Hunter sat on not ten minutes later. Where you ripped off her clothes in a frenzy and just took her like the sexy beast that you are."  
  
"Oh, that time, well be more specific next time dear," he said, saying the last word as if it were poison on his tongue.  
  
"He'll kill you, he'll murder you for sleeping with her," Stephanie said, "Hunter has always been protective of his belongings and his most precious one was played with by his worst enemy. How do you think he's going to react? He's going to fly off his handle."  
  
"He may."  
  
"And you're fine with that."  
  
"I'll bring up Stephanie and have him bawling like a baby in two seconds flat. The man is a shell of his old self, a shell and you know what people do with shells?"  
  
"Put them up to their ear and hear the ocean?" Stephanie said smartly.  
  
"No, they take a cracker and crush them to pieces and that is what is going to happen to Hunter. We will crush him."  
  
"And how exactly will we do that my dear husband?"  
  
"Don't you already know baby?"  
  
"Ooh, but tell me again, I love to hear you say it," Stephanie purred, her voice rolling out of her mouth in a way that made Chris want to ravish her right then.  
  
"You'll seduce him baby, and then you'll stomp on his heart for a second time."  
  
Stephanie closed her eyes and leaned her head back, "I love the sound of that. Shutting him down for a second time. He'll think that I'm interested in him, and then at the last moment, oh Chris, I can hardly wait!"  
  
"Well, who has to wait, let's move this shit forward." 


	6. Chapter 6

Stephanie stepped out into the cool night air. The breeze was chilly to her body, which had been so used to the warm, Hawaiian breezes that went through their beach-side villa. And here she was, in a life she left behind, and yet a life that she missed at moments. She leaned her tanned arms on the balcony, letting the breeze sweep through her short hair as she observed the light bespeckled view. The lights were tiny dots from this high perch, but they were still beautiful in their own way.

She felt Chris's muscular arms wrap around her bare waist, going a little lower to tease with the top of her underwear. She could feel him press himself against her back and she was content with the contact. He warmed her up somewhat, creating a barrier between her and the wind that threatened to chill her to the bone.

"I know you like to show off your body Stephanie, but is this really the way to do it, in front of an entire city?" Chris whispered huskily into her ear. She glanced down at her body, where she was only wearing a matching bra and panty set, white silk with bright red flowers on them.

"Well, so few of them have seen actual perfection, I thought they might like to," Stephanie responded. "And why are you out here?"

"I wouldn't want you to catch a cold and then die on me, I'd be so utterly lonely. And then you might actually have to haunt Shane, and I wouldn't want that for you."

"You're so kind Chrissy, worrying about me like you are," Stephanie said, in a sickeningly sweet voice. Chris continued to rub her stomach lightly.

"So about Hunter..."

"Must we talk about him at the moment?" Stephanie said, exasperated, "The last thing I want to think about is Hunter. If he wasn't such a creep and an idiot to boot, I wouldn't have had to go through with this plan and I could be at home, fucking your brains out right now."

"And you can't do that when you're here?" he asked smarmily.

"It's not as fun," she admitted, "Though the thought is tempting to say the least. Why is the world so full of people that are lesser than us?"

"Because God broke the mold when he made us and knew he couldn't possibly duplicate us. Why do you think we're an only child and the youngest child respectively?"

Stephanie laughed, this was sparkly and light, unlike the laugh she usually had, which was downright evil, "I suppose you do have a point Chrissy. But Hunter really isn't worth the time in the day for us to screw around with him...it's just so enjoyable, I guess we have to do it."

"Stephy, baby, he was the one who turned us against each other. Does that really not warrant our time and energy in bringing him down?"

Stephanie turned in Chris's arms so she could face him. Her blue eyes seemed to glow from the light inside the room. They made her enchanting, but Chris would never say that and lose face. He'd rather stab himself in the throat than ever tell Stephanie that she enchanted him. He knew that she felt the same way. The love between them was genuine, but there was also a self-loathing in loving someone else. They both prided on being the best, and never needing anything, and so, though they needed each other, and clung to each other in the worst way, they hated themselves for it.

"Oh yeah, silly me, I forgot about that...maybe selective amnesia. The mind tends to tune out the worst experiences of your life, and that was truly it."

"Oh, it couldn't have been all bad," Chris teased. Stephanie's eyes turned cold, and Chris knew that she hated thinking about it.

"If you call being Little Miss Fucking Innocent all the goddamn time not all that bad, then I guess you would have to be right Chrissy darling, but it was fucking hell on Earth, and if I had to go through that again, for even one moment, you can better believe that I'd actually be in that coffin in the ground."

"Well, we couldn't have that now could we? Whatever would I do with myself?" Chris asked, running his knuckles against her jaw.

"Don't pretend like you wouldn't make with the money and run, spending the rest of your life boozing it up with whores surrounding you every second, ready to pounce on you," she said with a zing to her voice.

"Now Stephy baby, you know I'd be devastated," Chris told her. It may be the truth too, he thought.

"As devastated as a snake who catches a rat for dinner, which is to say you wouldn't be," Stephanie answered.

Chris grabbed her by the ass and pulled her towards him, ravishing her mouth. Stephanie smiled against his lips, knowing that he was going to kiss her. They hardly told each other that they loved each other, more so letting their actions speak louder than their words. She leaned into the kiss more, and slipped her tongue in his mouth as his hands threaded through her short hair. They were interrupted by what was surely their room service and Chris groaned as Stephanie skipped to the door.

She opened it widely and saw the delivery guy's jaw drop as she stood there in naught but her bra and panties. She pulled the tray in a little, being sure to bend over just a tiny bit to show off a little more of her cleavage. The delivery guy just stood there, taking her all in, while she delighted in the looks he was giving her. She did love to tease.

"Now, what would I owe you in tip?" Stephanie asked, her voice deep as she licked her lips, looking him over. He wasn't cute in the slightest, at least not to her standards, but she did enjoy making grown men blush and act like silly fools. It had been one of her favorite pastimes before she met Chris, who never did succumb to any of her advances.

"Um, no tip, that's ok," the guy said quickly, "Um, just leave the thing out...in the thing, with the...um, hall, the hall."

"Is something the matter?" she asked coyly, tapping her finger on her stomach lightly. "Did you maybe forget to tell me something?"

"Nothing," the guy said, his voice almost zombie-like in nature. He was still staring at Stephanie's full breasts, and the way her underwear barely covered anything. "Nothing at all."

"So no tip?"

"No, no tip."

"But doesn't a strong, strapping young boy need the cash?" Stephanie asked, tilting her head to the side, exposing the long expanse of her neck.

"Um...no."

"Too bad, I'm so lonely, you know, so very lonely...oh well, bye," Stephanie said, slamming the door in his face.

"Was that your lame attempt at making me jealous?" Chris asked from behind her.

Stephanie turned around and leaned both her hands on the edge of the room service table. She crossed her legs one over the other as she leaned back, shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly. "I got out of paying the tip didn't I? And in the event that a girl service person should come up here, the maid perhaps, I give you full permission to be dressed in just the boxers you're wearing right now."

"Thank you for the concession Mrs. Jericho."

"No problem, Mr. Jericho," Stephanie answered with a snooty grin. She turned around to look at the contents on the table. She leaned over to look at what was under the farthest tray and Chris cocked his head to the side to check out her ass. Stephanie peeked over her shoulder to see him looking at her intently. "See something you like?"

"Of course," he said, "I'm always up for a little dessert."

"Oh, that's good," she said, turning around, "But right now, I need food, so if you'll excuse me. She grabbed some of the plates and put it on the dining room table. She sat down and reached out her leg to push the seat across from her away from the table with her foot. She raised an eyebrow, inviting him to sit and eat and he took it, finding it funny how her leg didn't move away, but her foot came to rest right between his legs.

"So now can we talk about Hunter?" Chris asked.

"Again with him, one night only, no talk of him," she answered, rubbing her foot against him gently.

"If I'm going to be letting my wife seduce him, we're damn well going to be talking about him," Chris said, his voice raising in a way it never did around Stephanie. She gave him a blank look, actually trying to comprehend if Chris was actually not liking the plan.

"Chrissy, it's just a plan, it's not like I'm going to be sleeping with him," Stephanie laughed; a laugh that Chris did not return. "Don't tell me you have a problem with the plan."

"What if he does want to fuck you Stephanie, are you prepared for that?"

"Chrissy, I wouldn't let him get near me like that if he was the last man on Earth," she said, "I would never put myself in a position where my legs were spread in front of Hunter again."

"The man's persuasive."

"As persuasive as me? I'm a southern belle Christopher, and I have my morals to uphold. Even if that bastard wanted to get me, he wouldn't because I wouldn't let him. Now be quiet about it, because you're worrying too much. I don't like that. The plan is fine, it doesn't need tweaking."

"I love you," Chris blurted out. Stephanie was a little shocked to hear that, well, hear it with sincerity that is.

"Chrissy, if this is your convoluted attempt at getting me to go along with whatever you want, not working," she said, rubbing her foot against his crotch a little more firmly. "Chrissy, you know we should do it my way."

"I wasn't trying to convince you of anything," Chris said, his voice low and a little dangerous.

"Oh," she said, then furrowed her eyebrows together. "You know I love you too. We don't have to discuss that."

Stephanie went back to eating her pasta, ignoring the looks that Chris was sending her way. She felt uncomfortable when he displayed so much emotion to her. It made her feel embarrassed when he would show his feelings. She understood them, and she knew that he loved her, and she was grateful for that, seeing as how she didn't want to be stuck in a marriage that had no benefits whatsoever, but it still made her uneasy when he looked like that, like he was completely in love with her.

"Stop staring at me," Stephanie snapped, "You look at me like...like a man in fucking love or something, and I hate it. Look at me like you want to fuck me if you must, but like you love me. Don't turn soft on me Jericho."

"I would never give you the satisfaction," Chris growled, looking over at her. Stephanie smiled, this was the Chris that she liked to see, not some pansy-ass "man in love."

She stood up from her spot and slowly made her way to where he was sitting. She grabbed one of his french fries off his plate and slowly sat down to straddle his lap. She fed him part of the french fry and then went in for the other half, until they were kissing. She rubbed her breasts against his chest lightly as he moaned lowly. She pulled away, but kept her forehead pressed against his.

She knew what she had to say, and though it was hard, she pressed on, her voice soft for once, and lacking the vindictive edge it usually did, "Whatever I do with Hunter, I will immediately tell you, and I wouldn't keep you in the dark about it. I care about you far more than you think I do."

"You didn't have to say that for me," Chris told her, knowing that it was hard for her.

"Don't expect me to turn soft like you Jericho, it's just not possible."

"I'm just as much a bastard as you are a bitch," he said, sweeping some of her hair out of her face. "I do hate loving you."

"The feeling is mutual, but as long as we're here and--"

Chris's cell phone rang and he groaned. He reached past Stephanie and grabbed his cell phone off the table. He looked at the number and didn't recognize it, so he showed it to Stephanie. She shrugged and leaned back a bit to give him room to speak. He figured it was someone from work, and whoever it was, he was going to verbally maim them for interrupting his moment with Stephanie.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Jericho, it's Hunter, remember me?"

"No, now leave me the hell alone." Stephanie raised a curious eyebrow and leaned in a little closer so that she could hear who was on the phone.

"Not until we talk about something," Hunter growled. Stephanie giggled as she heard Hunter's voice and Chris put a finger up to her lips to quiet her down. Stephanie took his finger in her mouth and swirled it around slowly. Chris gave her a look and she smirked at him, knowing that he was going to get angry with her.

"Dude, it's fucking eleven at night, don't you think that I would be busy right now?" Chris said, making it almost obvious that he was busy, and if Hunter heard Stephanie giggling over the line, then it should be perfectly clear.

"I don't give a flying fuck what you're doing, I want to see that letter from Stephanie."

"God, what do you think, that I have it handy or something. I probably burned it."

Hunter's voice got quiet, but it was still dangerous and filled with fury, "You and I both know that you can't stand my guts, and if there was a letter that basically made you look good and me look bad, you would have it on you at all times, just so you could one day gloat in my face."

Chris rolled his eyes, "Well would you look at that, you have me all figured out Trips, I do have the letter, and I do carry it with me in case you ever wanted to see it. Do you want to see Trips?"

"Jericho, I want that letter."

"Oh fine, you don't have to be all mean about it, I'll let you see it this week even. If it would make you feel better. How are you holding up? I mean, Stephanie died a year ago, a YEAR ago, I bet the wound is still fresh, you doing alright, you eating? Sleeping at normal hours?" Chris said, rubbing it in as Stephanie nuzzled his neck.

"I don't give a shit what you think, you just bring that damn letter and then we'll be cool, all right?"

"Ok, geez, don't get Stephanie's panties in a bunch. I assume you do wear them. Gotta keep her close right?"

Hunter hung up on him, and Chris laughed, throwing his head back. Stephanie smiled gleefully at his expression, wondering what Hunter wanted, but pretty much knowing from Chris's end of the conversation. Seemed this really was eating Hunter up inside. His poor, almost virginal Stephanie, sending a letter to his most hated enemy. It must've broken poor, little Hunter's heart in twain.

"He wants the letter doesn't he?" Stephanie asked.

Chris grabbed the wine glass sitting on the table and took a long sip. Stephanie leaned forward to lick off the excess wine that lingered on his lips. He looked at her as she pulled away, still licking her own lips. "Yeah, he does."

"Good, that's exactly what we wanted. Now, do we want him to erupt with anger and jealousy, or be trifled with sadness?"

"They're both tempting, why can't we do both."

"Maybe I did. Have you looked at the lucky letter I wrote?"

"I haven't had the opportunity, I've been too distracted by you and that body of yours."

"Oh, well it's sorry it distracted you. It can't help it, the need for clothes is just silly here, don't you think. Oh, if we were in Hawaii, then I could just walk around naked like usual. That does tempt you, doesn't it Chrissy?"

He was well aware that she was teasing him again. Especially the way her hands had started to run up and down his chest slowly. Her inner thighs were pressing against his own, but hers were so soft and smooth. She was always tantalizing, and he oftentimes wondered how he was able to resist her for so long.

She loved the way he looked at her sometimes. It wasn't the way Hunter looked at her, that was for sure. Hunter loved her, but his love was too sweet, too gentle to completely satisfy her. She had duped herself into believing that Hunter was what she needed. After being bad for so long, she thought that a gentle, kind man would be the answer to all her prayers. But really, he was just the bane of her existence. Chris looked at her like he wanted her, all the time, and that was a good feeling. It wasn't bad, or mean, or evil, it was just the fact that he wanted her; he made her feel wanted. She knew that he knew that too, and so she never felt the need to say it. She didn't have to.

"Well, you can read the letter if you so desire," she told him.

"Yeah? I thought that you wanted to keep it a surprise."

"Well, it's no fun when I'm the only one in on something. I need my partner-in-crime to help me. And I think that you fall under that category, right Chrissy?"

"I like to think I do. I did help you orchestrate your death."

"And such a good job you did too," she told him.

"So the letter?"

"Go for it," she said, "I've seen you eyeing it all night. Now whether you were eyeing the letter or eyeing my breasts, I'm not sure, but either one couldn't have been a bad sight right?"

"I can't say that I wouldn't mind looking at either."

Stephanie stared at him intensely for a minute as he held her gaze, but then let it drop to her breasts. He was about eye level with them, but at the moment, those were the farthest thing from his mind. For sitting right there, tucked neatly into her bra was the letter she had written to Hunter earlier in the evening. Chris smirked up at her for a second before leaning in. He kissed her cleavage and then grabbed the letter with his teeth, pulling it out slowly.

He took the letter out of his mouth and unfolded it behind her back. Stephanie reached behind her back as well and for a second, Chris thought she was going to unhook her bra and truly make it hard for him to concentrate on reading. But instead she grabbed the letter from his hand and brought it up front of her. She held it with both hand in front of his face as she grinned. He started to read it:

_Chris,_

_What can I say, but thank you? Thank you for everything you have ever given me. You were my best friend, and I'm still sorry for whatever I did to you. I truly don't know Chris, and even though I died not knowing, please forgive me so I can rest in peace. _

Chris looked up at her, "So you can finally rest in peace?"

"Hey, I had to make it look like I really didn't know what the hell you were mad at me about. Just keep reading."

_I guess I died, and I'm sorry for that too. You can hate me for dying, I don't care, but don't hate me for anything else. You were the one person I didn't want to shoot in the head and watch bleed. Consider that an honor. And thank you for the best fuck of my life. I still remember the way that you kissed and touched me, and the way that you made me feel things that Hunter couldn't, or wouldn't. Oh well, I'm out of that monkey's grasp as well, so death must have its perks. What you want to bet that he's still mourning me? I bet you he is, and that Chrissy, isn't that sad and pathetic. Yeah, I thought so. So goodbye, and Chris, one last thing._

_I always loved you the most._

_Stephanie_


	7. Chapter 7

Stephanie strutted into her and Chris's suite and saw him sitting down on the couch, apparently writing something. She stood and stared at him for a few moments while he worked. She was trying to get him to notice her, but it seemed that she wasn't doing a good enough job because he still didn't notice her at all. She wondered if he was playing a game with her and so she reached down to her black blazer and unbuttoned the three buttons that held it together. The material fell open, showing off her flat stomach and the blue lace bra she was wearing. She saw Chris smirk a little while he was writing and she knew that he knew exactly what she was doing.

She shrugged off her blazer, putting the bag she had brought with her down on the ground. It left her in the short black pleated mini-skirt she was wearing. Chris still didn't pay any attention to her. She liked the game they were playing and she unzipped her skirt until she was left in her blue lace bra and her purple lace panties. She liked to mix and match every once in a while, and she knew that Chris appreciated what she was doing, but like so many times before he was ignoring her.

She decided to step it up a bit and walked over to where he was and kneeled in front of him. "Chrissy, notice me."

Chris looked up, "Oh, when did you get here?"

"You should've noticed me as soon as I walked in, what's wrong with you? How could you possibly ignore me when I'm as gorgeous as I am."

"Where the hell were you? I wake up this morning and I'm in an empty bed; you had me thinking that you somehow ended up in someone else's bed."

"Aww, were you worried?" Stephanie said, making a pouty face. "Don't worry Chrissy, I didn't wander into someone else's arms while you were asleep. I'd at least wait until you woke up to spring a new boyfriend on you."

"Thanks for the courtesy."

"I had forgotten the great shopping here, and made sure that I hit all the good stores. I'll model some of it for you later."

"Goodie," Chris deadpanned.

She reached out to touch his cheek. "Darling, some of them you're going to want to see."

"The need for clothes for you is so pointless, because you know my favorite outfit of yours is just a smile, and nothing else."

"You see me in that one far too often," she teased, "But that's not the only thing that I bought. I also bought something very special for the both of us."

"What? I can't possibly think of anything else that we could possibly need."

"I think we're going to need this."

She leaned back behind the couch, still looking him straight in the eye. She retained that eye contact the entire time, grabbing the bag that was behind the couch. She picked up and brought it in front of her for a moment before tossing it into his lap. He gave a grunt as he wasn't expecting that and he went to take the plastic off the bag. His eyes widened to impossible sizes as he saw the baby monitor sitting untouched inside the bag.

"Are you fucking pregnant?" he asked, horror in his voice.

She folded her arms, "And if I was?"

"Then I would be forced to find a mistress because sweetheart, the last thing I want is to have to go months without sex."

"So you'd just let me suffer would you?"

"Yeah I would."

"It takes two people to have a baby," Stephanie answered, "And I haven't ever cheated on you in the entire time we've been married, so you do that math."

"So you're going to have a baby?" he said in disgust. "That's the last thing we need, some little rug-rat running around, needing our attention. I would definitely look into full-time nannies because I will not have a child encroaching on my time, or our time together. And boarding school, definitely boarding school."

"I love how you would be so supportive," she frowned.

"Like you aren't thinking the same thing," he told her. "So answer the question? Are we going to be having a horrid event?"

"Oh silly Chrissy, you know we take every utmost precaution in never getting pregnant because the last thing I want is some sniffly, sticky, whiny kid hanging onto my leg. Man, would I decrease in value if I had a kid. Stretch marks Chrissy, stretch marks," she said in a whiny voice.

"So why the baby monitor?"

"Chrissy baby, sweetheart, love of my life, you overlook one important feature to the baby monitor. It's one-way. This way, we can say something, and there won't be any feedback or echoing. It's perfect for what I want to do with Shane at the show."

"Have you also forgotten that I'm supposed to give Hunter the letter tonight?" he asked.

"What do you want me to do? Write it all on my hand so I don't forget? Of course I remember, but who says that we can't hit them both tonight? It's no fun if we go back and forth," she leaned in so she was a whisper away from his lips. "Won't it be fun to watch them both crumble before our eyes at the same time?"

He watched as she batted her eyes innocently at him, like she was actually going to fool him into thinking there was one innocent bone in her body. He raised his head a little and captured her lips with him, fighting her tongue for supremacy. She pushed him down on the couch and ran her small hands up and down his side and up under the polo shirt that he was wearing.

"Explain what you have in mind for Shane," Chris said, his voice rough and harsh against her mouth.

"I'd rather show you," she said, moving her lips down to his chin and then to his neck.

"You can show me something right now," he told her.

"I'd rather just get ready," she smirked cruelly as she got off of him and gathered up her clothes to go into the bedroom and changed. Chris groaned, it was just like her to tease him and then leave just like that. Luckily he was used to Stephanie and her teasing and was not that uncomfortable by the contact she had been giving him not moments before.

He got up from the couch and went into the bedroom, seeing Stephanie looking over her large, trunk-like suitcase, trying to find something appropriate to wear tonight. He walked by her and slapped her on the ass, which she ignored for the most part. He grabbed his briefcase and stuffed the papers he had inside of them. Sitting on the bed, he watched Stephanie mull over her outfits.

"For God's sakes Stephanie, you don't have to act like this is the last day of your fucking life and you have to pick something appropriate to wear."

She turned on her heel, "Excuse me, but have you ever seen me look hideous?"

"Yes, when you were engaged to the oaf."

"Fine," she scowled, "Have you ever seen me look hideous when I wasn't attached to an overgrown Neanderthal?" 

"No."

"And do you know why that is Chrissy?"

"Because you wear the perfect outfit for the occasion," he answered dully.

"Exactly, so get off my fucking back," she snapped at him, turning around sharply and going back to mulling over her clothes. She finally settled on some white Capri pants and a one-strap tank top. 

"Finally," Chris muttered, gathering up the note that Stephanie had written for Hunter.

"If you want people to be jealous of you for having me, then you shouldn't say things like that. If you value your sex life, you won't say that again either," Stephanie said sweetly, running a hand through her hair and then pulling her sunglasses on.

With the both of them ready, they left the hotel and headed for the arena that the show was at tonight. They parked at the far end of the employee parking lot and Stephanie retouched her lipstick as she waited for Chris to come over and open her car door. When he did, she stepped out lightly, her white-heeled, strappy sandals clicking against the concrete floor. They were arriving very early, hardly anyone was here at all. But that was part of the plan.

They walked down the hallway, the sound of them echoing through the empty halls. The only people here were the ring crew, setting up everything for later. Chris and Stephanie were only here for a little while before they went out to eat and Stephanie could do more shopping, much to Chris's chagrin. Stephanie had decided she didn't want to stay here the entire time. She finally came across the room she wanted and stopped in front of it.

"Be the lookout," she whispered to Chris. He nodded and leaned back against the wall nonchalantly.

Stephanie knocked on the door, making sure that Shane wasn't there. When nobody answered, she opened the door slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. The room was dark, so it had to mean that he wasn't in there. She glanced around slowly before slipping into the room undetected. She took the small pocket flashlight she had strapped to her leg with a garter and turned it on, looking around the ceiling. She spotted a vent high up on one side of the wall and went over. She looked in her purse for a screwdriver (never know when you might need one) and proceeded to unscrew the vent. Once she got done with that, she placed the baby monitor into the vent, turning it on and then put the cover back on. Finished, she made sure the room looked decent and then slipped back out again. There was still no one and around and she and Chris walked out of the building, satisfied by the little mission.

Later that evening, Stephanie was skulking around the hallways. She got a few looks from people, but that was probably more from the fact that not many people even knew who she was. At least who she was now. She was sure to keep a close eye on Shane's office, wondering when he would be in there. When he was, she would execute the next phase of her plan to screw over Shane. She was so looking forward to the breakdown he was sure to suffer at her hands. He had been the one to bring this on himself; the night he kicked her and beat her while she was down was the night that he sealed his fate. And she would make sure that he got what was coming to him if it was the last thing she did.

Chris was off somewhere, doing actual work. He didn't have to, but he liked to do it, and it was her indirect way of screwing with everyone at her convenience. Chris was probably proposing the storyline between Hunter and the woman of his choosing, Chris's choosing that is. Probably someone that would put the moves on him. Help him move on from his lost love.

She finally saw Shane enter his office and she smiled to herself, fading against the wall. People were too busy with the show to notice the redhead standing there, a self-satisfied smirk playing on her lips. Such was the ease of being a nobody in this business, where she used to be that somebody. She stalked over to a hallway close to Shane's office and hid herself in the dark shadows, fading away to the naked eye.

Shane was sitting in his office, irate that Chris Jericho could just waltz in here and get a hero's welcome. Chris barely traveled anymore, and when he did he was always getting the praise for the great ideas he came up with. But who was it that was here, week in and week out busting his ass for this company? It was Shane, and he never got any fucking recognition. Well, at least he didn't have to compete with Stephanie, since that little wench was dead and rotting in the ground.

Such thinking would surely be his undoing.

"Shane..." came the raspy, whispered voice. Shane looked up, thinking that someone was around who wanted to speak with him, but he saw nobody in his office. He chalked it up to his imagination, or someone in the hallway who was either looking for him or Shane Helms.

"Shane..." came the voice again, and he looked up again, looking around everywhere.

"Who the hell is there?" he asked the empty room, but he got no response. "Come on, whoever's hiding, just come out and show yourselves before I have you fired." 

"Shane..."

It was then that he recognized the voice; a voice he didn't want to recognize, but found himself knowing all too well. It was her voice. He could never forget that voice, having heard it for most of his life. He had thought he would blissfully never hear that whiny, screechy voice again. He thought he was hearing things though; Stephanie was dead, DEAD.

"Shane, I see youuuu..." her voice dragged out, sickly in tone, like she was parched. But Shane kept thinking she was dead and he was just making it up. He tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from, but the echo was too strong to see where it was coming from.

"Stephanie," he called out tentatively, feeling like such a fool for even considering the possibility that Stephanie's "ghost" or whatever could be around.

"Soon, Shane, soon...."

And that was it. He didn't hear anything anymore, but there was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that he didn't know what to make of. He was scared; he didn't want to admit it, didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't have been imagining things, could he?

Stephanie giggled to herself as she put her side of the baby monitor into her handbag. She emerged from the dark bowels of the hallway and looked both ways before strutting down back to where Chris was. She saw Hunter speaking to Kurt Angle up ahead and saw the perfect opportunity to work on the other side of the plan. She licked her lips and fluffed up her hair a little bit before sauntering over to Hunter.

"Hunter, right?" she said in her manufactured drawl.

"You remembered," he said smiling.

"Now how could I possibly forget a young, strapping lad such as yourself?" she said, drawing her voice out.

Hunter smiled in satisfaction at that, "Well I couldn't forget you either Mary."

"Oh you did remember my name, I feel just so doggone special." She turned to look at Kurt through her tinted glasses. "And who might you be?"

"Kurt Angle," he said with a smile, shaking her hand. "I don't believe we've met."

"I definitely would've remembered meeting you," Stephanie said impishly. "And Hunter, I do believe that Chris and I have something that you want to get those big, strong hands of yours on."

Hunter bit his lip, "That's right."

"Chris actually has it right now if you are so inclined to come with me and read it. I know that you must miss that fiancée of yours, and if we can ease any of the suffering for you, I know we'd love to do it."

"That's really sweet of you to say Mary."

"Anything to help someone get over their lost love. It must be a terrible feeling knowing that the woman you love will never come back to you," Stephanie said, knowing that it would hit Hunter right in the heart. She was very good with her ribbing. She knew exactly how to be subtle enough to jab at him, but not make it seem like a jab.

"Yeah, I miss her," Hunter said softly.

"Oh you poor thing," Stephanie said, pulling him into a hug. She made sure that her breasts were very close to his face as she pressed him against her. She patted his back, letting her wedding rings shine in the light. Yes, that was right, wedding rings. There was her original one, which she was practically shoving in Kurt's face, though she figured he wouldn't know that she was currently wearing his gold medal on her hand. The other ring was more sophisticated, but still understated. It was Chris's gift to her for her birthday, a sapphire and platinum ring, nothing more, nothing less.

Hunter was liking being so close to her. He hadn't been with any woman in over a year, but Mary was so soft and warm, and she was so sweet. He hated to admit that he was kind of falling for her, and he hadn't even known her long enough to know anything about her. But maybe he could get to know about her, and maybe instead of being with that scum Jericho, she could be with someone who was worth being with.

"Come on sugar, let's go find my husband," Stephanie told him, pulling away and taking his hand in hers. "It was real nice meeting you Mr. Angle, I do hope we have the pleasure once again."

"Nice meeting you."

Stephanie and Hunter walked down the halls hand in hand, and she let him grip her hand firmly. She knew that she was having the most perfect affect on him. He would be putty in her hands in no time at all. And he would be none the wiser to her true identity. She sighed loudly, hoping to get his attention, and so he would initiate the conversation.

"So where are you from Mary?"

"Around," she giggled, "But you can tell I'm from the South."

"Yeah, the accent tips you off...um, how did you meet Chris?" Hunter asked. If he wanted to get this woman, he would have to know about her and everything.

"Well, I was just this lowly little waitress down there in Georgia, working at a truck stop of all places. I wasn't the least bit happy, and then one day, just outta the blue, Chris came into my stop looking for something to eat, he was on the road for his wrasslin', and I happened to serve his table, and we immediately hit off. If it weren't for Chris, I'd still be waitin' tables at that stop. I was living in this trailer down there, with my boyfriend at the time, if you could call him that. He was a big lummox of a man, and he didn't treat me half as nice as Chris there does. He treats me just like I'm some sort of Princess."

"You look like the kind of girl who deserves to be treated like a Princess."

"Well look what you went and did you silly boy, you done made me blush," she said with a giggle, putting her hand to her mouth, resisting the urge to purge. "That is such a sweet thing to say. But what about this Stephanie of yours? She must've been quite the woman if she could attract your fancy."

"She was," he said getting teary-eyed. "Beautiful, smart, funny, and she never had a care in the world you know. She was perfect."

"She sounds like quite the woman, from what I've heard you and Chris say about her. Almost makes me wish I could meet her so I could shake her hand, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, she was wonderful."

They reached Chris's office, and like the gentleman that he was, Hunter opened the door for Stephanie. She walked in, giving him a sweet smile as she passed. She also made sure that her hand brushed against the front of his pants lightly, and it elicited a gasp from him. She looked at him questioningly, like she thought it was an accident.

Chris was sitting there in wait and looked up. "What do you want?"

"The fucking letter," Hunter growled, dealing with Chris in the opposite way he dealt with Stephanie.

"That's the kind of attitude you're going to take when I have something you want?" Chris said haughtily.

Stephanie went over to Chris's desk and sat herself down on the chair, Chris putting his arm around her for balance. "Honey dumpling, I think you should just give the man the letter, he's suffered enough hasn't he?"

"For you sweetcheeks, anything," Chris said, winking at her playfully before taking the letter out of his suit jacket and putting it on the table. "There you go Hunter, hope it says everything you wanted it to say."

Hunter rushed over and took the letter. Stephanie and Chris shared a look of happiness as Hunter scanned the letter. His face dropped a little as he read on. He recognized the handwriting no problem, and his lip was quivering. It said that she had loved Chris, and that she had slept with Chris, and LOVED him. And she had called him a monkey? Hunter dropped the letter in complete anger and went around the desk, grabbing Chris by the collar and shoving him up against the wall, much to Stephanie's shock. Well, fake shock, she had expected this reaction.

"You SLEPT WITH HER!!! WHEN!!!!"

"The night that you proposed," Chris answered calmly. "Actually right before you proposed. Right on the couch in your locker room."

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!!!"

"So I can be with Stephanie in the great beyond?" he asked coolly. "Wouldn't she love that?"

"You probably raped her!"

"Um, the letter said I was the best she ever had, I don't think that's indicative of me forcing her to do anything of the sexual sort."

"No, she's lying, obviously, she's lying!" Hunter said, angry tears falling down his face. Stephanie stepped in between them, pressing her back and her ass against Chris playfully as she looked at Hunter.

"Please don't hurt him, it's in the past," Stephanie said, her voice sounding weepy. "People make mistakes, don't they Hunter. We all do. Whether it be screwing over a love one or coming up with asinine plans and schemes, we all make mistakes." 

"But he-he--"

"Made a mistake and I think he's been punished for it, won't you be the better man and let it go?" she asked, pouting her lips a little.

"Fine, for now, but I swear to God Jericho..."

"Hunter, just calm down," Stephanie said, "We can all talk this out soon. Can I just get a moment with my husband?"

"I hate you Jericho," Hunter said through gritted teeth, but he left nonetheless. Stephanie turned to Chris and pinned him to the wall, smiling proudly.

"We're two for two tonight. That fat-ass bought it hook, line, and sinker. Now we just have to milk it for all its worth. He wants me."

"I want you."

"I know you do, but sweetie, we have work to do," she said, licking his lips slowly. "So much work."

"Like what?" Stephanie walked over to the door, locked it and walked over to his desk, knocking all of the contents on the floor.

"Do me first, find out later."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated this one in a while. I've been mulling over the next couple of chapters and just how evil and vindictive I wanted Chris and Stephanie to be. The next couple of chapters may surprise some people, I'm not sure. I'm just going to warn you now that it isn't going to be very nice, these next couple of chapters. They're not going to be violent or anything, but emotionally, well, they aren't going to be the most likeable people. I'm just warning you now. It took me a long time before I decided to write this, so yeah, I hope you aren't going to lambaste me with hatred.

* * *

Stephanie put the knife back in her purse. You never knew when a good Swiss Army knife would come in handy. Not that she was going to use it on a person. She was not that cruel...not to mention she would NOT look good in that hideous orange color that inmates had to wear, and she wasn't sure that she could get her manicures in the big house. Of course, should she ever do anything that bad, she was bound to get out of it. She had faked her own death successfully anyways.

But this knife was for Hunter. No, it wasn't for his back like he had done to her, this was just to get him to help her. She was going to be walking right in front of him, and then, oops, her heel would break, and Hunter was sure to come to the rescue. It was almost too easy to seduce him. It wasn't even a challenge. Hunter was probably hard up for a little loving and would be in a pool at her feet in no time. It was just too sad that he was going to have to be crushed like a cockroach on the bottom of her shoe.

Chris was off working somewhere, so he was going to have to miss the show she was about to put on. Sometimes she hated the fact that Chris worked at all, but he liked it, and she liked to control things without anyone knowing that she was actually still in control. If Stephanie McMahon couldn't be there in person, then she would definitely be there in spirit, or in the form of Mary, Chris Jericho's wife.

She stood up on the partially broken heel and tried to put a little weight on it. She could feel it give, and smirked to herself. Now she just had to find out where Hunter was so she could "accidentally" fall in front of him, and play up like she was the damsel-in-distress. Hunter had always fallen for shit like that.

She took off her shoe and hobbled down the hallway in search of where his locker room was. She figured that he would be in there since the show was in progress and he had a match later on that evening. She put her shoe back on as she walked past it and as she put her full weight on it, it snapped as she suspected and she sent herself on a tumble, crying out in mock surprise, looking up briefly to see the door opening.

"Oh my ankle, it hurts so very badly," she drawled as she grabbed for her ankle. It was actually fine, but nobody had to know about that.

Hunter looked down and saw Mary sitting on the floor, grabbing her ankle. He kneeled down next to her and looked into her face. "What happened?"

"Well wouldn't you know, my shoe heel broke, I guess I'm just a born klutz," she said with a sad laugh.

"I'm sure you're very graceful," Hunter told her. "It was probably due to poor craftsmanship on your shoes. They were too flimsy."

"Well, I can't help it if I've taken a liking to those stiletto heels. They just make me look taller and more slender," Stephanie said, sighing lightly. "But I never knew they could be hazardous to my health."

"Well now you do...is your ankle ok?" he asked, seeing that she was still holding it.

"I think I'll be just fine, but aren't you just as sweet as an apple pie at Thanksgiving dinner. You don't have to worry about little 'ole me," Stephanie cooed.

"It's ok, I want to make sure that you're going to be all right."

"Well I am now," she said. "Thank you Hunter. You are getting to be quite the hero in my book."

Hunter stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it in hers and let him pull her up. She squealed flirtily as he pulled her up rather quickly. She let her hand linger in his for a moment, giving it a slight squeeze before letting go. Hunter was studying her face, and Stephanie was worried for a second that he would figure out her identity. But her sunglasses were firmly in place, and she didn't look like Stephanie McMahon anymore...not the Stephanie that Hunter remembered.

"You're really beautiful."

"Oh, you are quite the charmer Mr. Helmsley. You are a silver-tongued devil you are," she said, patting his cheek. She could see Hunter melting right before her eyes, and she would have him right where she wanted him. And then she would drive her size seven nine stiletto heel right through his heart.

Hunter ducked his head. "I haven't really felt like this since my fiancée."

"Well, I am flattered Hunter, but you do know that I'm married."

"Can I ask what you see in Jericho?" Hunter said, Jericho's name tasting like venom on his tongue. He could live perfectly happy if for the rest of his life he never heard or saw Jericho ever again. That man...he had taken away everything from him, and that was not so easily forgivable.

"Because he's quite the man," Stephanie said dreamily. "There isn't one thing wrong about him, and do you know what, he never, ever tried to change me."

She hoped those words stung Hunter right in the heart. Hunter had tried to change her, and he had succeeded for a time. But then she had found out his dirty, little secret and she was never the same again. And she was going to make sure that Hunter was never the same again either.

"Mary, I've been looking all over for you," Chris said, walking up quickly to Hunter and Stephanie. "What the fuck happened to your shoe?"

"I done gone and broke it," she giggled. "I'm such a klutz."

"I don't think that's true," Chris smirked. "There was nothing klutzy about what you did last night."

"Oh, you are bad," she said, lightly slapping Chris on the chest. "If you'll excuse me Hunter, I think my husband needed to talk to me. Thank you again for checking up on me...I do hope that I can consider you a friend Hunter, and that you do the same to me."

"I'd like that very much," Hunter said, smiling at her and then scowling at Chris. Chris just shrugged and wrapped his arm around Stephanie's waist, giving her ass a little pat as they walked away, Stephanie hobbling again since she had taken her shoe off.

"What the hell was that?" Chris asked as they were out of earshot.

"I was playing up my strengths. Which is seduction."

"You could've told me what the hell you were doing."

"Oh, is that how it goes now," she said, pushing open the door to Chris's office. "I'm supposed to tell you every single one of my moves now. Do you want to know everything about me Chrissy, where I am at all times? I never took you for the kind of husband who would try to control someone."

"I'm not doing that and you know it," Chris said with a scowl.

"Well you could've fooled me. You'd think that I had been fucking Hunter in that hallway the way your face looked when you walked up to us. I would at least wait until we were in his locker room to let him ride me like a pony."

"I don't need to hear this."

"Oh don't be a fucking pussy darling. You know I'm not letting him anywhere near me or mine. Besides, I think he would know what the ride was like, he has been on it several times."

"Yeah, but I'm sure the cumulative time of those several was about two minutes tops."

"Oh, you're so cute when you're trying to calculate the time it takes for him to finish up, you might say," Stephanie said, leaning back against Chris's desk. "I was just trying to get on Hunter's good side. I couldn't have him thinking that I was completely untouchable. He had to see a fissure, and he saw it."

"And so what is he thinking Stephy dear?"

"He's thinking that there's a way to get me. He intends to steal me away from you. He thinks that's the only fair thing to do...because you stole me away from him."

"And here I thought the cruel fates had," Chris said with a laugh. "Cause his beloved is in the ground."

"Yes, she is, and she's not going to return."

"Speaking of, that's why I was coming to find you."

"Oh don't tell me Hunter had my body exhumed only to find that my body is not there, rotting...and then what will he think?" she asked herself, tapping her chin as Chris walked up to her and started running his hands up and down her leg. "He'll think it's a miracle, and spend the rest of his life searching for me."

"That's not it at all...your family is not going to be here tonight."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Those chumps are always here. They never miss a show."

"Oh, but something tragic has happened."

"Do tell Chrissy? They are my family, and I love them dearly," Stephanie said with mock love for her family, when in actuality, she felt little more than nothing for any of them. Shane did get a lot of hatred for his troubles though.

"Your mother is in the hospital."

Stephanie didn't know how to react to this news. It could be serious, it could be not serious. She was on the border of actually caring until she remembered everything her mother had ever done to her. And they were not hitting on the positive side of her pro/con list. Her mother had practically forced her to Hunter, and probably cared less about her, and so Stephanie could care less about this.

"What's wrong with her?" Stephanie asked. "Did she fall and break a hip or something? Wouldn't that be deserving of the old hag?"

"Actually, I believe it's a little more serious than that. It seems that she had a heart attack and it's pretty bad, they don't expect her to last through the night. Vince had the audacity to say that it was over a broken heart."

"For me I assume?"

"Yeah."

"Or maybe the old ticker just wasn't what it was," Stephanie said with a chuckle. "So am I obligated to go see her, considering I'm dead?"

"Do you want to see her?" Chris asked. He could tell that she didn't care, but Stephanie was never without a plan sprouting in that beautiful head of hers. He could see that the wheels were turning right now.

"I do want to see her. I want her to meet her maker, and there's a few things that I need to clear up with her. Before she goes that is," Stephanie said, smirking to herself.

"And if she doesn't go?"

"Well then, you can chalk it up to hallucinations...I'm not going to pull the plug on her if that's what you're thinking. I would never do such a thing to my own mother. I do have standards by which I live by Chris."

"Low ones."

"I guess that would explain my marriage to you," Stephanie said, with a cackle. Chris grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him, pressing his chest against her breasts. He leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck. Stephanie moaned a little as she threw her head to the side, allowing more of her skin to be exposed to his wandering lips.

"You know that you married me for all the right reasons."

"If getting away from my smarmy, ugly fiancé is a reason, then yes, I married you for the right reasons."

"You really are planning on going to see your mother?" Chris asked, kissing her neck where he could feel her pulse.

"Yeah, I really am. But I need you to get my father and brother away from her. If my brother is even there, that is. It would be so like that little bastard to not be around. Never much cared for Mother after all. Not like I did, but at least I'm not cold-blooded like Shane."

"Shane's a bastard anyways," Chris said, the hatred boiling up inside him again. Damn this love he felt for Stephanie. It made him want to do things like bash Shane's head through a window.

"I know that. So I guess I'm going to have to go to the hotel and get my Stephanie wig. I actually have to look like my old self if my mother is ever going to think it's me. Hopefully the old bat can still see."

"Let's go."

Chris took Stephanie by the hand as she put her sunglasses back on to hide her identity. They walked through the hallways, undisturbed by anyone. The drive back was filled with plans for what they were going to do. Stephanie did not feel a shred of sympathy for her mother. All the contempt that she had felt for years was bubbling up to the surface. She was finally going to tell her mother what she really thought of her. The results were probably not going to turn out all that well.

When they arrived back to the hotel, they went up to their room. Stephanie made her way to her suitcase, unzipping one of the compartments and pulling out a long brunette wig. She also grabbed some clothes to change into. Chris helped her pin her hair up and then get the wig situated on her head. She looked into the mirror and was shocked to see her reflection. It was her. For the first time in over a year, it was her.

"Wow," Chris said, kneeling down to her level and looking in the mirror. "Stephanie McMahon, where the hell have you been for the past year?"

"Chris, you would never believe it if I told you," she said, flipping her hair back. "My mother might die from the shock alone."

She got up to change and when she came back out, she looked exactly like she did when she had died. They hadn't planned to use this stuff yet, seeing as how they had something in mind for Shane, using the wig and the dress, but this opportunity arose, and she had to take it by the horns and run with it. She smoothed the hideously large sundress over her body and made a distasteful look at Chris, who was sitting on the bed.

"Oh God, I'm married to a frump," he said, gagging. "You better be wearing nothing tonight when we get back. Because if I have to stare at you in that outfit for more than ten minutes, I'm going to lose all interest I have in your body, and then babe, I'll have to leave you, and find a prettier girl."

Stephanie walked over to him, and lifted one of her legs to rest right next to him. She pulled up the bottom of her skirt, and ran it up until her entire thigh was showing. She ran her hand over the smooth skin. "I highly doubt that you are leaving anyone."

Chris smiled and kissed her knee. "If you say so."

"I do say so. Not to mention you'd lose something pretty valuable if you left me."

"So you ready to do this?"

"Mommy Dearest is in for the surprise of her life."


	9. Chapter 9

Stephanie had never had the kind of relationship that mothers and daughters who are close have. Stephanie was more rebellious than that. Though her childhood had been spent mostly away from her working mother, she had no grudges against her mother, no horrible memories. For one cannot have horrible memories if there are no memories that need to be remembered. During her teenage years, Stephanie tried to stay away from the house as much as possible.

Linda and her, they just never seemed to be at the same point and time that they needed to be to have a close relationship. Not that Stephanie had ever sought one out. She hadn't, and she never wanted to. She would look at her mother and see someone she didn't want to become. Sure, Linda looked good for her age, and she was smart and successful as a business woman, but she was too proper, too structured for Stephanie.

Stephanie didn't want that kind of structure in her life. She wanted to go out and do anything and everything she wanted, and she didn't want to plan for it. She just wanted to go out and do it. She had wanted to marry Chris, so she did it. She had wanted to get away from Hunter, and so she had faked her own death. The conversation that had taken place before she decided to fake her own death had been mostly joking, but at the same time completely serious. She had wanted to get everyone, take out everyone's hearts, and then stomp on them all until they were just a pulp beneath her feet.

"_Why should I just take out Hunter…what have my parents done for me lately?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_That's right. So why shouldn't they get a little surprise too…oh, all this plotting is making my brain spin uncontrollably. I should just fake my own death and get it over with."_

"_So do it," Chris said._

"_I can't fake my own death," Stephanie scoffed, but then the light turned on over her head. "What am I thinking? Of course I can fake my own death. I've got the means, now I just need to find me some people who are more than willing to take a little cash in exchange for a few services."_

"_So you're actually going to go through with this. And where are you going to run off to huh? Are you going to live off the land in Montana or something, and where the hell am I going to be?"_

_Stephanie had been straddling Chris for this entire conversation, rubbing herself against the front of Chris's pants. Just like she suspected, Chris didn't care. She had never gotten him to just crumble before her. It was almost frustrating, if she didn't know that he was her closest ally, and the only person she would realistically call her friend._

"_You're going to be right by my side. Chrissy, how would you like to marry me?"_

"_Marry you? Why the fuck would I do that?" he asked._

"_Because, I need you too, and isn't it about time that you hit this again?"_

"_I can hit you any time I want."_

"_Just marry me fucker so I can have all this shit go down," Stephanie said._

"_Well when you put it like that sweetcheeks, how can a guy resist. Just make sure the sex comes often."_

"_If that's your only demand, then we're going to be great…oh, I just wish my mother could see me now, and maybe when I marry you. She'd have a conniption fit the size of Texas, but it would all be worth it. Maybe I should get the old hag a flask or something, I'm sure it'll comfort her in the dark days to come."_

"_Or maybe she can just fuck Hunter and get that over with," Chris said crudely._

"_Oh, that is bad…but no, I think my parents need to be rudely awakened. They need to be shown that their little girl…she isn't going to be taken lightly."_

So here Stephanie was, at a hospital, ready to not only reveal the biggest secret she had, in the fact that she was alive, but she was going to see her mother, and tell her just how much hell she had brought into her life, right before she "died." Was she nervous? Stephanie had not a nervous bone in her body, and she never had. She was not going to chicken out here.

Chris walked ahead of her, making sure that the coast was clear. It seemed that Vince and Shane might have went and gotten some food. He waved to Stephanie who was down the hallway. She obviously couldn't just go in there, seeing as how it was seemingly being monitored by the nurses. So Chris was her diversion. They worked like a machine together, one of them knowing exactly what they had to do. They were a team, in every sense of the word.

Chris walked up to the nurse's station, "Hi."

The nurse on duty looked up and saw a very good-looking man in front of her. It was unusual for that to happen. The Intensive Care Unit was usually filled with older people, not guys that looked like this. She found herself sucked in by the charming smile that he was sending her.

"What can I do for you?" she asked in her best formal tone. It was hard not to sound gushy in front of this gorgeous man.

"Well," he said, looking down to her nametag, "Sherry, that's a nice name. I wonder if you ever got teased though, because it's the name of a wine, and a song and everything."

She laughed, "No, thank goodness."

"That's good, I think it's a beautiful name."

Sherry giggled, covering her mouth with her hand guiltily. "Thanks, so is there anything I can do for you."

"Actually, I was looking for someone, and they were supposed to be here, but they're not at the moment, so I guess I'm just stuck waiting. But I'm sure that it won't be too hard with you here. Working hard?"

Sherry almost felt weak in the knees and was thankful that she was sitting down already, because she would've had to sit down after the look he had sent her. She was dazed by him, and thankful that whoever he was waiting for was not there. She wondered what it would take to get this man's number, or for him to ask her number. She was a fairly attractive woman, Chris observed, but no woman compared to the one he was in love with.

Even if he did find a woman that rivaled Stephanie's beauty (he hadn't found one yet), they wouldn't have the same spark that Stephanie had. Stephanie had a spark, a beautiful spark that glinted in her eyes, that he found the most beautiful thing about her. Nobody else could have that spark, it was uniquely Stephanie.

"Well, it has been busy. We keep getting new people, and it's the toughest area of the hospital to work in. Kind of harrowing."

"Yeah, I bet," he said. "You must be so brave."

She ducked her head down, embarrassed, "Well, I wouldn't say brave, but I've been at this job for so long, you learn not to get too attached. It's almost like this is the last stop."

"Yeah, but still, it's gotta be hard."

"Sometimes, yeah," she answered.

Chris put his hand below the desk and waved his hand towards Stephanie. She was watching for his signal, and when she saw it, she hurried to Linda's room. But not before giving that girl a small dirty look and a promise that when she was done with her mother, she was going to go up to that desk and kiss the living shit out of Chris.

Stephanie was met with silence when she walked into the room. The only sounds she heard, sporadically, was the whooshing of air from the ventilator, and the soft beeping of the heart monitor. There her mother lay, and Stephanie just stood there for a moment, collecting herself. She wasn't sad, and that almost surprised her. Even when she told herself she wouldn't be, a part of her still thought that seeing her mother so vulnerable might tug at her heart. But maybe Stephanie didn't have a heart. Or if she did have a heart, maybe it all belonged to Chris.

She walked up to her mother's bedside and looked at her. She looked peaceful, and Stephanie smiled. She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed, just tight enough for Linda to open her eyes. The room was so quiet that Stephanie could hear the small gasp as Linda saw her.

"St—Stephanie?" Linda said, her voice quiet.

"Yes Mother, it's me," Stephanie said, her voice calming and soothing. The eye of the storm.

"Am…I….dead?" she breathed out, looking around.

"No Mommy, but you're going to be," Stephanie said, her voice now eerily calm. "If it all works out. Oh, you should've taken better care of yourself, don't you think so Mom. I mean, then you wouldn't be here."

"But…alive?"

"Oh, am I?" Stephanie said, touching her arm. "Well, would you look at that? It seems that I AM alive."

"How?"

"Oh now Mommy, I can't reveal all my secrets can I? Or maybe I am an angel. Maybe I'm an angel that was sent to collect you to your heavenly abode," Stephanie said with a light giggle.

"I'm dying."

"Astute," Stephanie said, studying her fingernails. "But I'm guessing you really died when I did. Or did you not care Mother? Were you too busy thinking about all the lost wedding plans that you had made, hmm, Mother! Was that what you were thinking of!"

"No…no," Linda said, closing her eyes painfully.

"Oh, wasn't it Mother? Loved me? You never loved me you bitch, you just wanted a perfect wedding, you wanted me to marry Hunter!"

"He…loved…you."

"No he fucking didn't, he didn't fucking love me, he wasn't capable, because he tried to change me. Did you know THAT Mother, did you know that he got me drunk so I would say something to make Chris hate me! Did you know that Mother, did you know how controlling he was of me…luckily I got out of that fucking situation, no thanks to you Mother. Maybe if you were a better mother, I wouldn't hate you so goddamned much. You never even knew about me. You just assumed."

"I…love you, Hunter…good for you."

"Hunter was NOT good for me, but you wouldn't even know what was good for me, would you? No, you wouldn't, and you'll die not knowing. You're dying Mother, and I had to come see your final moments, what kind of daughter would I be if I didn't at least come see my mother on her deathbed. Never say I didn't do anything nice," Stephanie said with a smirk. "And it would be so nice to just pull this little plug out and watch you die…but I'm not cruel like you are Mommy, no, not me."

"Stephanie…why did you leave?"

"Because I hate you, and I hate Daddy, and I hate Hunter and I hate Shane most of all. Did you know that your Shane is a horrible human being Mommy? Did you know that he kicked me because I inadvertently introduced his wife to the man she cheated on with. And he spit on me. That's the son you have, so next time you look at him, know that. And I hate all of you, and I would've done anything to get away from you…and Mommy? I did…and I'm all the more better for it. But let me just discuss the reasons why I hate YOU so much."

Chris leaned across the desk. Every second that passed, Sherry felt a little bit more intrigued by the man standing in front of her. Whoever he was waiting for hadn't yet come, so he was free to speak to her. And she wanted him to stay here. He was so charming and good-looking.

"So where are you from?" he asked.

"Oh, around here, Connecticut. I can't imagine living anywhere else. It's so beautiful here."

"Yeah, I'm looking at something pretty beautiful right now," he told her sweetly. Sherry blushed madly, her face turning bright red at Chris's words. Chris could care less about the girl's reaction, he was wondering what Stephanie was telling her mother.

"So Mommy Dearest, I'm glad you're there, and I guess this is my time to say goodbye, but I won't say that, it's too dreary don't you think? I'll just say this…good riddance." Stephanie walked over to her mother's bedside and leaned down to kiss her mother's forehead. "Good riddance Mommy."

Stephanie walked out of the room, and spotted Chris still talking to that little bitch behind the desk. She took off her wig quickly, deftly taking out the pins in her hair, shaking it out so that it didn't look terrible. She unbuttoned the sundress she had been wearing, revealing the black mini-skirt she was wearing, with the boots that ran up to her mid-calf. She straightened out her thin, off-the-shoulder, white sweater and tucked her wig into her sundress before rolling it up it a ball to carry out with her.

She walked straight up to Chris and put her hand on the back of his neck and leaned up to kiss him. She slipped her tongue in his mouth as he returned the favor. She could feel him pressing himself into her and then wrap an arm around her to rest just above her ass. She moaned softly before pulling away, kissing the corner of his mouth before she pulled completely away.

"Sorry that I kept you waiting," Stephanie said.

"As long as you always come back with that, then I'm fine with it."

Stephanie laughed, sparkling and yet so very dangerous. "Well, I'd give you a better greeting, but there's not a bed nearby, and I don't think this…receptionist or whatever would really appreciate all those papers flying off of her desk."

"Wicked thought though," Chris answered her.

"Yes, it is, and it's all mine…just like you're all mine, right Chrissy baby?"

"As long as you look like that, you can have anything you want," he said, completely forgetting about Sherry who was sitting there rather embarrassed and saddened that Chris seemed to have someone already.

"You want me any way you can have me."

"I do, so let me go have you," Chris told her, licking his lips.

"If you insist," she said, pulling him away from the desk. Chris didn't send Sherry a second look.

Once they were safely in the elevator, they were at it like two animals in heat. Chris practically rushed Stephanie and her back hit the back of the elevator, though she didn't feel it as she was too busy being lifted up by Chris. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he held her up by her ass. She tilted her head back against the wall and Chris took advantage and started planting feather kisses along her neck.

"How did it go?" he asked as he kept kissing her.

"Wonderfully," she answered, running her hands up and down her chest.

"Was she shocked?"

"Fuck yes, and it was beautiful, simply beautiful. She looked like she had died," Stephanie laughed. "Oops, that's hasn't happened yet."

Chris and Stephanie had the uncanny ability to have a conversation while still fooling around. Stephanie had managed to unbutton the top two buttons on Chris's shirt, and Chris had slipped her sweater even lower on her chest, kissing the cleavage that was revealed. Stephanie moaned and caught his lips in a fiery kiss that lasted for several seconds. They didn't even realize that the door had dinged open and there were people currently standing there waiting for the elevator, not considering the fact they would get an eyeful. A mother stood with her young son and quickly gasped and covered her son's eyes. Stephanie finally broke away and looked over Chris's shoulder to the people waiting.

"Oh, like you've never fucking seen people making out before, get a damn life," she said as Chris let go of her.

They straightened out their clothes and walked straight out of the hospital and back to their car. Chris peeled out of the parking lot and they were on their way, Stephanie telling him what exactly had happened in that hotel room.

While this was happening, Vince and Shane had been back to Linda's bedside, where she was just staring up at the ceiling.

"I saw…Stephanie," she said softly.

Vince and Shane, thinking that she had been hallucinating just looked at each other, before Vince spoke, "Linda, she's dead, honey. You couldn't have seen Stephanie."

"I saw her…she was here," Linda told him. "She was here, I swear…"

"Just rest honey, ok, just rest, you were probably dreaming up that Stephanie was here."

Linda didn't believe it.

And nobody believed Linda.

Chris and Stephanie had won again.


	10. Chapter 10

"I have to go," Chris told her, straightening out his tie. "She was my boss."

"Yes, yes, and I'm sure she was the one who signed your checks too," Stephanie said, blowing on her fingernails. She had just gotten a manicure at the hotel spa that morning and her nails were still a little bit wet. She had picked a blood red color, specifically for this day.

"Not to mention she was my mother-in-law, and what kind of family would I be if I didn't attend her funeral?" Chris asked, with a modicum of sarcasm in his voice.

"Oh, that's right, you're married to her daughter. I had completely forgotten," Stephanie answered. "I guess that means that I have to go to this thing, considering she was my mother. What a great mother she was too! She was always around to help me, and love me, and care about me, and I turned out great, a perfect, little angel in every sense of the word."

"No need for sarcasm, we don't need to get bitchy."

"I'm not bitchy," Stephanie said. "I just don't see the point. Although this must be hard on Dad, losing his wife and his daughter in so short a time period. If I were so inclined to inherit his fortune…I might tell him I was alive. But as it stands now, that'll be Shane's….Oh my God, if Dad dies, then Shane will be in charge…I can't have that happen."

"Stephy, it won't," Chris said, looking over his shoulder at her. "By the time we're through with him, he'll be locked away."

"And then what of the company?" she asked. "You have to sweeten up to my dad, show him that you are a good businessman. I want that fucking company to be ours. Not that we need the money, but think of it Chrissy, us ruling them, but they don't even know it's me."

"It would be quite the coup."

"It would." She got up and walked over to the bed where her black dress was laying. "Help me with the dress, would you, my hands aren't dry."

"What the fuck do you think I am? You're slave."

"No, because I don't have either a whip or a chain."

"Like that would stop you from making me do your bidding."

"You already do my bidding. I don't see why you have to gripe now. And you should be wanting to touch me, unless you've suddenly decided that you like boys, in which case, let's invite a guy into our bed, honey," Stephanie said, blowing on her fingernails some more.

"You're disgusting."

"And you love me for it," she said, "Now come help me get dressed, I'm cold just standing here naked. You haven't even asked if I was chilly, that's so rude of you. I could catch my death of cold, and you wouldn't even bat an eyelash to help me."

"No bra or panties?" he asked, grabbing the dress off the bed. He wasn't her minion by any means, but when he saw the opportunity to feel up his naked wife, he was going to take that opportunity.

"Nah, I figure that I don't need it," Stephanie said, shrugging her shoulders. "Who's gonna be looking while my mother is buried?"

"I will."

"But Chrissy, you're allowed to see my tits, and my goodies, so you can stare all you want. Now, I was thinking, wouldn't it be fun to you know, get Hunter a little? I think this is the perfect time, because Mommy Dearest is going to be buried next to her beautiful daughter, poor Stephanie McMahon, dead before her life even started."

"And what did you have in mind Stephy, were you going to rip your sunglasses off and reveal to the masses that you were alive. Or perhaps climb into your old coffin and then stick your hand through the ground like on all those movies?"

"How wonderfully evil," she commented, "But no, you leave it to me, and we'll be fine. I think that poor Hunter would very much like to see Stephanie, don't you? I mean, Linda did see Stephanie, so maybe if Hunter sees me, then he'll start to think that Linda wasn't crazy, in affect driving him crazy, because who's going to believe Hunter, nobody. We have to eliminate him Chrissy, because he stands in the way of us and the company."

"How does he stand in the way?"

"Because Chrissy, I was supposed to marry the buffoon, so obviously my dad loves him, and I'll be damned if he gets his hands on my company when he did NOTHING for me except rip my best friend away from me. That piece of scum is going to pay, and then Shane will fall, and you will enter Daddy's good graces, and he will leave the company in your hands because he's got nobody else Chrissy, don't you see, this is the pathway for us to rule the company, and then our reign of terror will begin…oh sure, the people won't know it, they'll be happy to work for us, but we're going to fuck them over so badly they won't know it, and we'll laugh and smoke cigars and fuck right on top of Daddy's old desk because it would show the old man that he NEVER controlled me," Stephanie said, her eyes flashing in the strangest, almost crazy way.

Chris put his hands on her shoulders and ran them down to her waist, running slightly over the swell of her ass. "Calm down Stephy, you're going to work yourself up and then you won't even get to enjoy the ultimate plan."

"You're right, I was getting ahead of myself, and that's never good, don't count your chickens and all that, but Chrissy, you know we'll prevail, we're going to win right," she said, running her leg up his pant leg.

"We will win, we don't go into anything knowing we aren't going to win," he said, kissing her roughly, tangling a hand in her hand and pulling her towards him. She let her body press against his for a moment before pulling her dress out of his hand and then pulling away altogether. She held the dress in front of her enticingly and he grabbed it hastily.

She stepped into it lightly, the short black dress fitting her every curve. It was slightly off-the-shoulder, but had a deep neckline, going down to the middle of her breasts, which were just dying to pop out of the top completely. Chris went around her until he was directly in back of her. He slowly slid up the zipper, kissing the back of her neck when he was done. She turned her head and winked at him, pulling away to grab her hat, placing it slightly askew on her head. It shaded a bit of her face, plunging her into anonymity. Nobody was going to know it was her…ever.

They arrived to the church and slipped in rather quietly, at least for the two of them. They didn't want to draw attention to themselves at the current moment. Maybe later, but certainly not now. The room was filled with people, the same people who had been to Stephanie's own funeral. They took a seat nearer to the front of the church and saw Vince and Shane sitting there. They were stoic, just as what was expected of them. God forbid they show any kind of emotion.

Of course, with Shane, he was probably gleeful inside. Stephanie knew, through Chris mostly, that Shane was happy she was dead. So if Shane was happy that she was dead, he was probably doubly happy that their mother was dead. Shane didn't know what he had wrought when he had broken Stephanie that day, but he was going to be reaping those benefits in the near future. His gleefulness now would be hers in a short time.

She sat just as stoically as her father and her brother. Maybe they were just a cold family, showing no emotions in public. But for Stephanie, she felt differently. She wasn't being stoic just because she could; she honestly didn't care. Her mother had been the one to plan most of her almost wedding to Hunter, and she went against everything that Stephanie had asked for and wanted for that wedding. She would never forget the way that her mother had rebuffed her for even looking at another wedding dress, saying that it wasn't appropriate for a wedding. Stephanie had bought that dress though, and she had gotten married in that dress, so it was almost apropos that she should see her mother get karma back in spades.

The funeral was solemn and subdued, as a funeral is supposed to be. Stephanie would've fallen asleep had it not been for Chris discreetly rubbing her breast. She smirked over at him, but her attention was drawn away as Shane stood up and went to the podium to speak. She wondered what he was going to say, but she knew that it was going to be complete bullshit.

"First of all," he started. "I want to thank you all for coming. The passing of my mother was sudden, and with pain. My heart went out to her during her suffering, and I would've given anything to be the one to bear it for her."

"Yeah, only if it came with a big reward," Stephanie whispered to Chris, to which he smiled at.

"But she's in a better place now, and she gets to be with Stephanie, and I think that's what she wanted. The doctors might have said that it was a heart attack, but I believe that it was a broken heart over Stephanie. It's been very hard for my father and I; to lose so much in so little a time. But we know that both Stephanie and Mom are in a better place, and I'm sure they're happy together watching over us. I miss Stephanie, she was a good sister, and I'll miss my mom too."

Stephanie was feeling sick to her stomach. She wanted to rush the podium and knock her brother out. She stood up and slid out of the pew icily, walking to the door of the church and pushing them open, the sunlight streaming in. She stepped outside and took a deep breath, leaning against the post. She hated when Shane did that to her. When he lied to people, and acted like he was an actual brother to her.

It wasn't a few minutes later that she felt a warm arm wrap around her waist from behind. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, her hat shading her features. The arm was comforting and she leaned back a little bit. She hated to show Chris that she was vulnerable to hurt, but when it came to Shane, those feelings flooded back and she was a child again, she was hurt and lonely and she felt so unwanted.

"You're fine," he whispered, his lips pressed against the back of her ear.

"I'm not fine," she answered. "He's an asshole, and I hate him so much. How could he say that shit with a straight face, KNOWING that he had kicked me in the stomach? I had bruises for weeks after that and I couldn't bend over."

Chris bit the inside of his mouth, drawing blood. But the coppery taste was welcome to him. He wanted to taste the blood because it made him not think about Stephanie's pain, but his own. And Stephanie's pain was something he didn't want to feel. He hated Shane for what he did to Stephanie. This normally strong and independent woman was felled by one traumatizing incident, and it was just not right.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Chris said quietly, but his anger could be heard for miles.

"And then he goes up there and he says all this fucking crap about how he was missing me, and how he loved me, and it's all just bullshit Chris, everything he says is bullshit."

"I know it is," Chris told her. His voice had changed tones. He had to be there for Stephanie, regardless if he wanted to pummel Shane right now. Regardless of the fact that he wasn't good with this whole comforting thing. He was much too insensitive to be a "nurturing" person. "I…love you."

"Hard to say?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

"Yeah," he answered with a nonchalant shrug. "I mean, yeah."

"I know you do. But when I look at Shane, I feel so…alone."

"You're not alone, you're never alone," Chris told her, and he was really despising this conversation. "Stephanie, look at me."

She looked, her eyes strong and undaunted. She had a look like nobody else. Her looks could melt you if they wanted. Chris loved her eyes, even when she was forced to wear different color contacts, they were still the prettiest eyes that he had ever seen. Yes, the statement was vomit-inducing, but it was just what he thought.

"You are better than Shane is and ever will be. We will make his life a living hell and then you can kick HIM in the stomach and see how he likes it."

"I can kick him in the stomach?"

"Hell yeah you can, by then he'll be too crazy to do anything."

"Yes, that does sound wonderful," she said, "Shall we go back inside?"

"Yes, I think we should, wouldn't want to miss any of this. It's so very depressing," he said, giving her a fake pout. She just laughed, wondering if the people inside could hear her, she didn't care if they had, but it would've been nice to know.

They walked back inside and sat back down and nobody noticed at all. Well, Hunter had noticed, but he had been noticing a lot of things about Mary. She was so beautiful, and so sweet and kind. He had no idea what she saw in Chris Jericho. If he could just steal her away…But then he felt badly for thinking that kind of thought. He loved Stephanie and he always would, but there was something about this woman that intrigued him.

He wanted to find out what…at any costs.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, from dust we came and to dust we shall return," the minister said as they interned Linda into the ground. Stephanie watched as they buried her mother, but her eyes flitted to her own grave. It was strange to say the least. She hadn't been here since the day that her old life was buried. She could see Hunter crying, but he wasn't looking at Linda's grave, but at her own.

After the funeral was over, Stephanie walked over to Hunter, being sure to shade her eyes. She put her hand on his shoulder and he looked at her. She gave him the best sympathetic look that she could muster, which wasn't much, but it would do. He smiled at her wistfully and then back at the grave.

"That's my Stephanie."

HIS! Oh yeah fucking right she was ever his. But she took the comment in stride. "So that's your Stephanie?"

"Yeah, she was so beautiful," he said sadly. "And now, being here…at least I know that she's not alone out here in the cold you know. She has her mom now. To keep her company and everything."

"That's a very beautiful way of looking at it," she said, looking over her shoulder, trying to figure out where Chris had gone. But no, she had to see this thing through. She had to do this, even if it made her sick.

"Well, I come here everyday, just to see her, make sure she knows that nobody has forgotten her."

"Oh, I'm sure that nobody has forgotten her at all," Stephanie said. "We should all only be so lucky as to have a wonderful man come and visit us everyday. How many times do you get called wonderful a day? I'd have to take a guess and say lots."

"Not really."

"Oh, well then that's a damn shame," she said. "I think the world would be a lot better if everyone would just compliment each other more."

"Yeah, it would be," he said. "I hate to cut this short, because I really like talking to you, but I kind of wanted a minute alone with Stephanie, if that's ok?"

"Oh, of course," she said. "I would be so very rude if I didn't give you a moment with the woman you loved."

"Love."

"Oops," Stephanie giggled, covering her mouth. She stepped away and started walking away to wear the car was parked. Chris was sitting inside, and she opened the door and smoothly got inside.

"About time," he said.

"Well, I had to talk to the jackass. He's missing me, sad, pathetic little peon. He needed a moment to mourn Stephanie. Poor bastard. He's mourning over an empty box. He said some lame ass shit about how I'm not lonely at nights anymore. I'm surprised he doesn't just build a house over here so he can sit and watch my grave for any developments."

"It would be more convenient," he reasoned.

"So drive around the block so I can change," Stephanie ordered.

Chris obeyed as Stephanie leaned over the seat to grab a bag with the things that she'd need. Chris took the opportunity to stare at her ass. She brought the bag up front and went through it, grabbing a pair of running shoes and a black dress out of it. It was the same dress that she had been "buried" in, or the one that was picked out for her. She had picked it up at the mortuary and taken it with her, knowing that it would come in handy some day.

She turned to Chris and he pulled her zipper down quickly and she turned back around, exposing her breasts. She didn't care as she pulled the dress down entirely and Chris had to force himself not to look over at her naked body. She pulled the dress that was in the bag on, and she turned to Chris again, but this time he zipped her back up. She put on the shoes and then grabbed a wig out of the bag. She took her hat off and shook out her hair a little.

She pinned her hair back and put the wig on, adjust it so that it looked natural. She took off her sunglasses and her contact lenses, going back to her original blue-gray eyes. She pulled on her hair a little bit more and then started redoing her makeup. When she was through with that, she looked to Chris.

"How do I look?"

"Like a million bucks, and like someone I used to know and someone who I fucked on a couch somewhere."

"Good, because that's exactly the look I was going for," she answered. "I remember that night. You hurt me…bad."

She leaned over as he started back to the cemetery. She ran her hand softly over the crotch of his pants, and he just looked over at her and shook his head. He could control himself better than she could, but that didn't stop her from trying to get a rise out of him. She rubbed him a little harder and he threw her hand off.

"You just go do your goddamn job and then we might talk about letting me fuck you."

"Letting me? Sweetie, if anyone is going to be letting anyone fuck them, it's going to be me letting YOU fuck me, so I'd watch my step if I were you."

"We're here," Chris said, stopping the car so abruptly that Stephanie pitched forward a little bit. She scowled at him and got out of the car.

"I'll meet you back here in a few minutes, and we have to make a quick getaway."

"I know, you be careful," he said, leaning across the space to give her a long, passionate kiss.

"I always am."

She got out of the car and made her way to the other side of the cemetery. She had made sure that Chris was on one side of the cemetery and her grave was on the other so that the chances she'd get caught with him would slim down. She saw Hunter standing there, alone, but his parents were nearby. It seems like they had gone with him for support. She had hated them. His mother wanted her to have children as soon as they were married. What a fucking joke that would be. Thank God Chris shared her views on children.

She walked a little bit closer, but not so close that Hunter could see all the details in her face. She had had light plastic surgery after all, and she didn't want Hunter to see any distinguishable features. The only thing she had really done was change her chin, besides the breasts issues. But still, she didn't want him to be able to recognize that she was Mary, Chris's wife.

She walked a little closer and then stood there, shrouding her face with the hair of the wig, making herself look almost scary. She could still see Hunter through a few strands of hair, but he still had her back to her. His parents were also facing the other way, staring at their son's back. When Hunter turned around, she would see him as clear as day among the trees that dotted the beautifully landscaped cemetery.

It took a few more minutes, but finally Hunter turned around to speak with his parents. He didn't notice anything at first, but a flash of black caught his eye and he looked up. Stephanie could see him staring at her from the distance, and she shot her head up so that he could see her face. Hunter went pale as a ghost, which his parents didn't notice because they were having some sort of heated discussion, Stephanie couldn't really tell.

She raised her hand slowly, acting as if it was heavy and it hurt to do so. She raised it up and then she waved, slowly and with an eerie smile on her face. Hunter's face just held in shock and he couldn't move. He thought he was hallucinating because he was seeing Stephanie. Stephanie was there, she was right there and she was waving to him, waving in the same outfit that had been chosen for her funeral.

Hunter needed to see if it was her, and he tore past his parents, wanting to get to Stephanie. He misjudged just where he was, and stumbled down the short hill. Stephanie didn't have time for laughter, that would have to wait, but she turned and ran towards Chris's car. Thankfully, all the running she did on their private beach had readied her for this moment. She reached him in no time. Hunter stumbled to his feet, ignoring his mother's cries and looked to where Stephanie had been.

She was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

Hunter was shaking as his mother wrapped her arms around his shoulders. HE had taken quite the tumble. It was like he had seen something and was moved by the grace of God to get at whatever he had seen. She understood that he had had a tough year, what with Stephanie's death; he still hadn't gotten over that.

"Hunter, what happened?" his mother asked gently.

"I saw her…I saw HER."

"Who honey? Who did you see?"

"Stephanie, I saw Stephanie, she was right there," Hunter said brokenly. "She was right in front of me!"

"Oh honey," his mother said compassionately as she rubbed his shoulder, "Stephanie is gone. You were probably just imagining her."

"But she seemed so real. Like she was right there, in front of me. I swear I saw her Mom," Hunter said, almost pleading with his mother to believe him. He was so sure that he had seen Stephanie. And she wasn't an apparition, she seemed to real, too much like flesh and blood to be an apparition, a figment of his imagination.

"Maybe you saw her, but I think that it was in your mind, it must be hard being here today, where Stephanie was buried," his mother told him. "You were probably imagining that she was here."

"But…I don't think I was," Hunter said.

"Come on, let's go to the car, we'll take you home, and I'll make you anything you want," she said, gently prodding him along even as he looked back at the spot where he had seen Stephanie. It had to be her, what if she was still here…but he had seen her die, he had been there when she took her last breath, there was no way that could've been Stephanie.

But still…

Stephanie laughed loudly as she threw the wig back into her bag, shaking out her short red hair. She ran a hand through it and then leaned over to start kissing Chris's neck, sucking gently on the vein that ran down the side. Chris groaned as she placed her hand on the front of his pants, and shoved them away, but she giggle playfully and put them back, and started rubbing him with her delicate hand.

"Stephanie, as much I like this, and don't get me wrong, I do, I'm not going to do this while I'm driving."

"But you should've seen him Chris, you should have seen it, he fell, right down that hill, just tumbled down like a big boulder. He was so sure, and then he just fell, it was hilarious. I wish I could've taken a minute to enjoy it, but I wouldn't want my dearest Hunter to find out my secret."

"We've got bigger things to worry about right now Stephanie."

"I know something big I'd like to worry about," she winked at him none to discreetly. Chris rolled his eyes and pushed her over to her side. She crossed her arms and pouted at him, mad that he wasn't giving in to the temptation that was her.

"That was the most horrible thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth…and I've heard you tell Hunter that you were in love with him."

"I think I should be insulted," Stephanie said huffily. "First you insult me, and now you're just being mean."

"Look, with your dad and brother in mourning, or at least your dad--"

"Because Shane wouldn't mourn anyone but himself, that selfish bastard. He'd expect everyone to be sad about him getting hurt, but the second, the moment someone else gets hurt, he's the first one to laugh at you."

"Hey, hey now, we'll get back at him, there's no need to get upset," Chris said.

"I'm not fucking upset," Stephanie answered. "I'm fucking angry. That's all that I feel for him, and for my screwed-up family. The only thing I want from them is the company, nothing more, nothing less, and I will get it."

"Which brings me to my next point if you had just shut your mouth and let me speak."

"Don't tell me to shut up," Stephanie answered testily.

"If you knew what I was about to tell you, you would calm the hell down and let me speak," Chris said to her. Stephanie knew when she was beat, or at least when she really should quiet down because whatever it was that Chris needed to say to her, it was obviously important enough for him to keep bringing it up.

"Fine, go right on ahead, I'm all ears, I'm on the edge of my seat," Stephanie said sarcastically, starting to undress and get back into her real clothes. Chris was not falling for this little trick of hers either.

"With your father and brother in mourning, they've decided to take some time off from traveling, and your father wants to leave me in charge because I used to be a wrestler, and I know how things go around the arena."

"Wait a minute," Stephanie said, mid-button. She turned to Chris, her eyes lit up and excited. "You mean to tell me that they left you in charge of everyone!"

"Every single person on that roster," he smiled. Stephanie gasped and clapped her hands.

"This is great, we'll get a taste of the power," Stephanie said, already calculating in her brain what she wanted to do. "We have to make sure you run it perfectly, with no mishaps, because if my father sees that, he's going to want you for a right-hand man. And then he'll teach you all the nuances, and then we'll have it all Chris."

"And your brother?"

"By the time we get the company, he'll be locked away somewhere, probably eating his hair or something," Stephanie said with a giggle. "This is awesome, we're going to have to it all."

Hunter just couldn't get her out of his head. Stephanie usually occupied his thoughts anyways, but it had gotten progressively worse now that he had seen her. His parents were worried about him, but he had reassured them that he was ok to travel and so here he was, going to another show, another day that he was without Stephanie, and it was starting to wear on him again.

He thought that he was starting to get over it, starting to heal, but this was a major setback. Stephanie…he missed her so much, and just when he thought that things were getting better, he had to go and see her, or imagine her if that was the case, but she just looked too real for him to believe that, but what could it have been otherwise? He had SEEN Stephanie die, had heard as her heart monitor had slowed to a stop. He had buried her…he had.

This was all Chris Jericho's fault. It had to be. If he hadn't seen that damn letter, if he hadn't known that Stephanie and Chris had slept together, it wouldn't be plaguing his thoughts. If he WAS just imagining Stephanie, then it had to be because that letter, and that knowledge had bugged him to the point where it was gnawing away at his brain. He was getting angrier by the second, just knowing that they had slept together.

What would've compelled Stephanie to sleep with him? He wanted so much to just ask her these questions. He thought that she had loved him unconditionally, but it seemed that wasn't the case, and if it wasn't, what he had done wrong? Had he not loved her enough, or had it been…he deserved it more than he thought? He looked down at that, thinking about what he had done to Stephanie.

He had thought the plan was for her own good. Chris Jericho was not good for her; he had just ruined her time and time again. Once they had gotten away from each other, they had been different people, Stephanie had become everything he could've asked for in a woman, and they had been perfect, but…what if he was just getting paid back in full for what he had done to Stephanie?

She had been heartbroken after Chris had ended their friendship, not knowing what she had done to hurt him so badly, and Hunter knew that it was not her fault and let her go to her grave thinking that she had somehow betrayed Stephanie. Maybe this was his punishment, knowing that Chris had had her in a way that Hunter had thought was special to him, maybe he had to be plagued with that thought for the rest of his days. But it all boiled down to one thing, and one thing that stuck in his mind like a sharp tack.

This was all Chris Jericho's fault.

Stephanie was straddling Chris in his big office, the leather of the chair rubbing against her bare knees. She and Chris had been making out for a good five minutes, the power making the both of them hot for the other. Stephanie pressed her breasts against his chest, and her ran his hands up her back and undid her bra, letting the clasp fall open. She moaned against his mouth and he moved down to start unbuttoning her black shirt.

"And if someone walks in?" Stephanie asked as Chris lavished her cleavage with kisses.

"They walk in," Chris said. "I'm not ashamed of you. You're my trophy wife."

"I'm anything but a trophy in this marriage," Stephanie said angrily. "I'll have you not refer to me as a common whore Chris. Remember who it is that took all the money and made us the rich asses that we are. And remember who it is that can take it all away."

"I don't give a fuck about the money, I will just take over this company and then I'll have all the money," Chris reasoned. "Certainly more than you have."

"Well, if that's the case," Stephanie, reaching back to re-clasp her bra. "You won't need either one of these."

"Hell yes I do," Chris growled as he pulled her back against him.

"Oh Chrissy, you have no restraint whatsoever," Stephanie said with exasperation.

"You don't fucking tease me bitch."

"Watch your mouth," Stephanie said with an edge to her voice. "I do not tease, you can call it foreplay, but you don't call it teasing."

"Says the woman who doesn't care that I call her a bitch."

"Let's not get self-righteous, we both know that I'm not the fucking pristine angel that everyone believes I am now that I'm dead. So just fuck me and get it over with, and then we'll see who the tease is."

"Your wish is my command," Chris said lecherously, as he went to take Stephanie's top off.

The door burst open and Stephanie almost fell off of Chris's lap as a very irate Hunter stormed to the desk and slammed his hands down. Stephanie buried her face in Chris's neck and pressed herself against him since she was practically topless, and she wasn't about to give Hunter a free peepshow, never again would she do that.

"Listen up, Stephanie loved ME! Do you hear me! She loved me! She didn't love you, she NEVER loved you, it was always me!" Hunter yelled at him. Chris felt Stephanie stifle a laugh against his neck.

"Ok," Chris said calmly. "If that's what you think."

"That's not what I THINK, it's what is you fucker! Stephanie loved me, she was going to marry me, and that's final, that's it, nothing else, you hear me! NOTHING ELSE!"

"I fucked her Hunter, nothing more, nothing less," Chris said, "Didn't even mean that much to me, obviously not as much as it meant to you."

"She was going to marry me."

"Yes, she was, and I was not going to go. Why would I want to see her get married to you? I'll tell you this Hunter, I never wanted to see her marry you, I always felt that she was too good for you. She could've done a lot better, too bad the last sex she ever had was with you, must've been a pretty big downer," Chris said with a laugh.

"No," Hunter said. "She loved me."

Now it was starting to sound like a mantra, something that would make Hunter feel better. Stephanie started sucking on Chris's neck and he had to slap her ass a little to get her to stop. She surreptitiously buttoned up her top, trying to remain presentable in front of Hunter, and shook her hair out a little so that she could look a lot more innocent than she was right that moment. She was going to get off of Chris's lap, but he held her in place and she suddenly realized the reason why was pressed against her thigh.

"You keep telling that to yourself Trips, it'll keep you warm at night," Chris answered. "I've got a hot piece of ass warming me up every night."

Stephanie's jaw dropped and she laughed a little bit, then drawled, "Well, I think that was a little uncalled for."

"Look, Stephanie wanted to be with me, and she loved me, and she hated you. You were nothing to her."

"She fucking used me Hunter, I had no fucking love lost for that dirty tramp. I don't care if she spread her legs for half the country after we stopped being friends, I don't really give a fuck what she did."

"Good…good, because as soon as she got you out of your system, she never thought about you again," Hunter lied, trying to save some dignity for himself.

"Great, now if you'll excuse me, in case you didn't notice, I'm trying to fuck my wife, so if you could close the door on your way out, it would make this a lot easier."

"Fuck you Jericho," Hunter spat out, slamming the door behind him.

Stephanie pulled away finally. "What the fuck is his problem?"

"Blue balls," Chris conjectured.

"Probably," Stephanie said. "You do know that I have to go after him right?"

"Stephanie, fuck no, I'm not waiting for you, I want to fuck."

"Oh get over it," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. "You went without me for so long that you should be able to deal without me for like half an hour. Jerk off in the bathroom if you have to."

"Why the hell would I do that when I have you at my disposal?" Chris asked.

Stephanie patted his cheek, "I'm just thinking of your best interest darling. But if you feel the need to wait for me, go right ahead."

"I could just find another set of legs that would be willing to go at it with me."

"Go right ahead, I dare you to find a guy who wouldn't want to hit this," Stephanie said, gesturing towards herself. "Especially since I went back to being natural. Those breasts that I had before really were quite garish, leave it to Hunter to have a tit fetish."

"I won't fuck anyone if you don't," he reasoned.

"Oh, you do run a hard bargain," Stephanie answered with effort. "Because Lord knows I'm just so willing to drop to my knees in front of a random man's zipper."

Chris smiled sarcastically, "Get the fuck off my lap."

"Thank you baby," Stephanie said, kissing him. "I'll finish you off later, twice if you're a good boy."

"Three times if I feel like it?"

"No, I'm not a whore," Stephanie said.

"Could've fooled--"

"It would be in your and your dick's best interest not to finish that sentence," Stephanie implored him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a man to console."

Stephanie stuck her glasses on and walked out of the room, intent on searching for Hunter. She didn't even have to look because he was sulking against the wall, his head down. Stephanie took a deep breath, knowing that she had to play this sympathetic even though she was hardly sympathetic to anything involving the bastard that she had had to fake die for. She resolved herself and walked up to Hunter, laying her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her startled.

"I know what you're going through," Stephanie said softly.

"How?" he answered bitterly, but then looked at her, "Sorry, I'm just really upset."

"He loved her, I can tell," Stephanie said sadly, pretending again. "It breaks my heart too."

"So you do know," Hunter said. "It sucks huh?"

"I try not to think about it," Stephanie said, tearing up. "But it's hard because there's this woman that he loved and I'll never compare to her, never."

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"It's ok, I'm trying to get over it, I really am, it makes it easier for me that she's gone," she paused as she pretended to collect herself, "Oh, I'm so sorry, that was the last thing you wanted to her, and there I go talking like I should be glad someone's dead."

"It's ok, we're in this boat together."

"Feels more like a sinking ship," Hunter said morosely.

"Uh huh, and I've only been married to Chris for a year, but I feel like sometimes, he's thinking just about her, and it's like, what can I do to make him love me, and not her?" Stephanie said, wiping at her eyes. "I hate my life sometimes."

"Hey, don't cry," Hunter said, reaching to grab her, but then pulling away at the last second. Stephanie saw this and allowed herself to collapse against his chest, sobbing loudly.

"What do I do!" Stephanie said sadly. "I don't know what to do."

"Come on, it's ok," Hunter said, rubbing her back. "Um, did you want to go out for drinks after the show and talk about it?"

Stephanie grinned against his chest. He was actually asking her out on a date under the pretense that it was for her own good. She was delighted by this development. She nodded against his chest lightly, being sure to press her breasts against him enticingly.

"I'd love to."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, I hope you're enjoying the story, and please leave a review telling me what you thought. Those are always appreciated and help me with the direction of the story. The longer the better I say. ;)

* * *

"So now you're going out for drinks with him?"

"Yeah, he feels bad that I'm in apparently a loveless marriage or at least in a marriage where the man is in love with another woman."

"You TOLD him that I was in love with you!"

"Yeah," Stephanie shrugged, "How else would I comfort him if I didn't tell him some complete bullshit answer about how sad I am?"

"God Steph, could you be any more clueless!"

"What the fuck did I do wrong?" Stephanie asked angrily. She thought that she had done a good job. The plan was to have Hunter seduce her, and what better way than to have him think she was having problems with her husband?

"Now he thinks he has the upper hand!"

"Ok…why don't you take a step off your fucking pedestal and explain how Hunter could possibly have the upper hand?"

"He thinks I was in love with Stephanie, and now he can gloat that he had when I didn't."

"But you DO have Stephanie," she said, running a finger down her blouse and back up again.

"I know that, but he doesn't know that. Way to blow it Stephanie. Hunter doesn't need to think that he's better than I am, and that's exactly the kind of thing that we need to avoid while doing this plan."

"I hardly see the difference that it will make in the long run," Stephanie said nonchalantly.

"Of course you don't. You just go around vamping it up like the whore that you are, and leave all the dirty work to me," Chris sneered.

"YOU do all the dirty work!" Stephanie yelled, slamming her fist against the coffee table in their hotel suite. "That's shit and you know it. Don't forget who it was that faked their own death! ME! With no help from you! I crashed my car, I called the people, I pretended to die, so don't go making yourself out to be the hero!"

"Oh yeah, because I never did anything."

"I could've gotten out without you!"

"Like hell you could!" Chris growled. "Face it Stephanie, you're nothing, you've done nothing."

Stephanie walked straight up to him and slapped him across the face. She was going to do it a second time, but he caught her hand before she could touch him. She glared at him icily, and he tightened his hand around her arm, to the point where with any other person it would cause them to cry out in pain, but Stephanie held firm, daring him to hurt her even more.

"Don't fucking slap me," Chris said slowly, emphasizing every syllable.

"Don't fucking call me useless," Stephanie answered, using the same tone of voice. She stared him down, not intimidated by the man in front of her. Chris didn't intimidate her, nobody did and she wasn't going to stand for him talking down to her like she was beneath him.

"Fine," Chris said, letting go of her arm and shoving her away. "Go ahead and go have your drinks with Hunter, and why don't you just end up in his bed either, see if I care."

"Oh, my poor little Chrissy," Stephanie said, shoving him back. "You would love that wouldn't you? You would love me having sex with another man when you love me so goddamn much right? If I recall correctly you were the one who had to bust out the 'I love you' when you thought that I WOULD sleep with him. You're the one who loves me more Chris, not the other way around."

"Obviously I've made a huge mistake," Chris said. "I could live without you Stephanie, no problem. I never needed you before, and I sure as hell don't need you now. And I'd love to see you try to work out these plans by yourself."

"I could if I wanted to, I certainly have the means to do it," Stephanie gloated. "I wouldn't need you anyways."

"Well fine then," Chris told her, his voice challenging. "You know, you're the hugest bitch I've ever met in my entire life."

"I know," Stephanie said, not denying it. "And I'm proud of it. I had to toughen up after Shane beat me up. And I did, and I'm all the more better for it. Maybe I should actually thank him instead of trying to take him down."

"Go for it," Chris said, his voice like ice. "I'd like to thank him too, for knocking some sense into you."

"And you, acting like you're tough, grabbing me and then shoving me, what you want to be like Shane now?" Stephanie challenged. She hadn't even rubbed her arm, though it was a little sore from his grabbing. But then again, one side of Chris's face was numb from Stephanie's slap.

That slapped Chris more than Stephanie's actual slap did. She had never compared him to Shane. Although, he had never been legitimately mad at him though. He wasn't going to be like Shane, but he sure as hell wasn't going to apologize to her and show him that she had the upper-hand. Stephanie was smirking at him, like she knew his internal monologue. She knew that she had hit a nerve and that slowly the pendulum of power was swinging in her direction.

"What's the matter Chris? You don't like the comparison?" Stephanie said smugly.

Chris stepped up to her until their noses were pressed against each other. "No, I don't. I don't want to be compared to that pansy-ass brother of yours. The day where I am anything like that slimy, fucked-up bastard is the day that I walk away from this goddamn existence."

"Well start walking," Stephanie said.

"You want me to leave you?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow. "You want to be all alone in this world with not one soul who knows who you are? Well, if that's the way that you want it, fine, I don't need you, I don't want you, and I went a hell of a long time without you, and I'll do it again. It will be nice to get to nail as many chicks as I want again. I knew this marriage thing would never work out."

Then Stephanie saw him do something she wasn't expecting him to do. She never underestimated Chris, because she knew what he was capable of, but she wasn't expecting him to do this. He brushed right past her and into the bedroom. He grabbed his suitcase and started neatly folding all his clothes and putting them back inside. There weren't many clothes out of the suitcase so it only took him a few minutes to pack up and zip the suitcase shut.

He brushed past Stephanie again, suitcase in hand. Stephanie crossed her arms. "Where the hell are you going?"

"I don't know, maybe I'll just go to the show and then back to Hawaii to pack up my things from the house. You don't need me, I don't need you, so let's end this bogus marriage, which is just a bunch of shit anyways, and move on. I'm sure you can find a little cabana boy to satisfy your every whim."

"Oh, you think you're going to get me to cave this way huh?" Stephanie said, shaking her head. "You're pathetic Christopher Jericho, thinking that this bullshit is going to work on me. What do you take me for? Some simple country girl who doesn't know left from right unless it involves driving a tractor in the corn fields. Don't forget who you're talking to. This shit is not going to work with me."

"This isn't bullshit Stephanie," Chris said calmly. "You told me to walk, and I'm walking. You're getting exactly what you want, just like usual."

"Yeah, just like usual."

"Go fuck Hunter for all I care. Go tell him who you really are, reveal it as you're sitting on top of him, I could care less about what you fucking do. You think that I care about what happens to you. I care about what happens to you as much as you fucking care what happens to me and we both know that's nothing."

"Oh, and NOW you're putting words in my mouth," Stephanie scoffed. "Would you like me to sit on your lap so that I can be your ventriloquist's dummy? Make me say whatever it is you want to hear?"

"No Stephanie, I would much rather just walk out that door, get my own room. Go to a club, pick up a couple of girls, take them back to my hotel room and screw their brains out until morning when I dump them unceremoniously. And then tomorrow night, do the same thing with two completely different girls. I've got a lot of time to make up from the year that I was chained to you. To think I could've been fucking girls every night and I settled for you."

"Settled!" Stephanie yelled. "You know I'm the best you've ever had. Any girl you fuck after his is going to pale in comparison."

Chris smirked and put his suitcase down, pursing his lips a little bit and taking a step towards her. "Oh is that right?"

"You know it's fucking right?" Stephanie said, her own smirk becoming more and more like a smile. "You know that hitting this is the best."

"Do I now?"

"Mmhmm," Stephanie mumbled, her voice getting low and growly, "You're never going to find anything as good as this and you know it. You know that you're never going to find a body like mine."

"There are plenty of beautiful women out there," Chris said, taking one step closer to her. "Plenty of women who want to have a piece of Chris Jericho. They're jumping at the chance to get in bed with me."

"I know," Stephanie nodded. "But think of all the men who would love to see me on top of them, riding the life out of them."

"Yeah, there are," Chris said, "But you're MY fucking wife."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Stephanie asked innocently.

Chris pulled her flush against him and Stephanie fell willingly into his arms. He growled a little before kissing her deeply. Stephanie grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him closer to her as he almost brutally kissed her. Stephanie let him dictate the pace, knowing that they were always just blowing a lot of hot air about leaving each other, which just ended up being great foreplay for when they would inevitably fall into bed.

"God, I fucking love you," Chris mumbled into her neck as he moved down, sucking a little on the side.

"I know," Stephanie breathed out, Chris having stolen all of her breath. "I love you too…so fucking much."

There were no sorry's to be had, neither one ever told the other they were sorry, not in the most sincere sense. They just let it go, like they let every other fight go. They understood each other, and they were both very proud people, not willing to budge, even though they did love each other, in a sick and twisted sense that didn't make sense to anyone else, but it worked for them.

Stephanie practically ripped the buttons off of Chris's shirts as she pulled it open roughly, wanting more of his skin. Chris took his time a little bit, making sure to tease Stephanie every once in a while. She pushed him onto the bed and he let her climb on top of him, sliding her tongue from his navel up to his mouth where she kissed him with abandon. Chris unhooked her bra while she was doing this and the fight was over as they made up.

"You shouldn't have grabbed me," Stephanie told him as she lay on top of him.

"Yes I should've, you deserved it," Chris said. "Just like you would say that I deserved that slap."

"You did deserve it, you were mean to me," Stephanie said, lifting her head to give him a look. "You were a horrible, horrible man, and I don't know why I stay with you."

"Because I'm the best fuck YOU'VE ever had."

"Well, considering the last guy I screwed before you was Hunter, anything would be better," Stephanie said. "Talk about your yawn-inducing whatever the hell he thought he was doing."

"And that's just the picture I want painted after I screwed my wife," Chris said dully.

"So Chrissy baby, you're going to let me go have drinks with Hunter aren't you?" Stephanie asked him sweetly. "Because you love me so much and you want me to get my revenge, right Chrissy, baby?"

"Go have your damn drinks," Chris said, rolling his eyes. "You knew I was going to give in eventually anyways."

"I know, but I figured you'd be more receptive after I had just let you fuck me," Stephanie said with a smile. She climbed off of Chris and went to her suitcase. "I have to find the perfect thing to wear."

Chris sat up in the bed, the sheets barely covering his lower half as he watched his wife walk over and try to find something to wear. He didn't like the fact that she was going out with Hunter, but he could learn to live with it if he had to. It was just a matter of knowing who she always came back to. Stephanie held up an outfit to him and he shook his head, but she frowned and put it on anyways.

"It'll be fine Chrissy, now stay out of sight until Hunter gets here," Stephanie told him. "I don't want him thinking that you're here. You're supposed to be working late."

"Fine, fine, whatever you say master," Chris answered.

"We're not playing that game right now," she winked as she went to fix her hair and makeup since they had gotten mussed up when she was in bed with her husband. She came out minutes later looking perfectly coiffed and beautiful as usual.

There was a knock on the door and Stephanie grinned and walked over to Chris kissing him. Chris pulled her to him with his hand and she almost gave in and got undressed once again, but pulled away before it got carried away, and judging from the tenting going on with the sheets, it was about to get carried away.

"Save that for me," Stephanie told him, kissing his jaw once more.

She walked smoothly to the door and opened it, giving Hunter a smile. The light shone off her glasses a little and it was almost like her smile blinded Hunter. He extended her arm to him and she took it graciously. She closed the door behind her and then walked with Hunter down to the lobby.

Chris got out of bed and threw on some dark clothing. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail and grabbed his sunglasses slipping them on. It wasn't that he didn't trust Stephanie with Hunter, it was that he didn't trust Hunter with Stephanie. The man was a desperate fool and there was no telling what he might do. Besides, it was well within his right to spy on his wife and another man.

He had to make sure Hunter didn't pull anything and if he did…it might cost him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chris had no problems getting into the club that Stephanie and Hunter had gone to. It wasn't like he ever had any trouble getting into any place. He was considered one of the "pretty people" and as such, he was able to do a lot of things that the people beneath him didn't get to do. And he fully believed that there were many, many people beneath him.

One of those men was Hunter, a man who was so far beneath him he couldn't even see Jericho's shoes. But that man was on a date with his wife at the moment and he would be damned if he let that man touch his wife. He was possessive, he knew that, but when you had someone like Stephanie, who had a wandering eye (like he didn't), you had to make sure that they didn't go out and do something stupid. Not that he thought she would actually sleep with the guy, but he wouldn't put it past Hunter to try and get her into bed.

No, he wouldn't put anything past Hunter.

Stephanie was lightly rocking to the music that was being played by the DJ. She had been here for ten minutes and she was already bored. But she wasn't here and she and Chris would always go and pretend to hit on people only to crush them like bugs when they actually thought they had a chance. It was something they loved to do together, one of their hobbies maybe.

"Mary, what drink do you like?" Hunter yelled at her over the music as they approached the bar.

"Get me a martini, dry, very dry," Stephanie answered dully. She was looking around and seeing if there was anybody worth having a little fun with. There didn't seem to be anyone around that was worth any of her time and when she turned back to Hunter, she found that he was standing way too close to her. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he said, "it's just crowded in here."

"Oh," Stephanie said, noticing that it wasn't all that crowded where she was standing. Hunter put his hand on the small of her back and led her over to a table. She sat down and crossed her legs as she looked around.

"You look really great," Hunter told her.

"Thanks," Stephanie drawled. "It's always nice to get such glowing compliments from such a handsome gentleman."

Stephanie was receding back into her role, the role she had to play when she was around Hunter and most other people. Chris was the only person she ever felt like she could be herself around, he was the only person who knew how she really was.

"It's been a long time since I've even been out with a woman," Hunter said, and he was trying not to sound pathetic, but he was also failing miserably. Stephanie held back her laugh by taking a sip of her drink. "So you were telling me about Chris and Stephanie earlier…"

Stephanie sighed dramatically. "Yes, Stephanie, I just feel like I can never get out of her shadow. It's like she has some hold on him that I can't break."

"I just can't believe they fucked each other," Hunter said with a deep disappointment seeping into his voice. It was so hard to think that Stephanie had been unfaithful to him. Not that he had been the perfect angel, since he had thought up that whole plan to get her away from Chris in the first place.

"And he loved her, I mean," and here Stephanie's lip trembled and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I just…it's like I was just second place to her. I'm the consolation prize. At least Stephanie can't compete with me, or I would surely lose Chris."

Hunter reached out his hand to her, "I know how you feel. You know, you don't have to stay with Chris."

"But I love him," Stephanie told him. "I love him so much and I don't think that I could go on without him. I don't have any family, and…I just…I'd feel so alone. Chris is all I have left."

"If you left him, you wouldn't be alone. If you want…I'd be here for you."

Hunter didn't know what was coming over him, why he felt such an attraction to Mary, but he was and it felt good. He was finally moving on from Stephanie. This beautiful, vulnerable woman was sitting here and was talking with him and feeling the same things he was feeling. She was betrayed by someone she loved, just the same way that he was. They were both hurting and he felt a stirring in his stomach, one that he thought had died with Stephanie.

"What…what do you mean?" Stephanie asked as softly as she could as the place was loud.

"I just find myself…I haven't felt this way about someone since Stephanie, and she's not coming back. You're too good for Chris, I can tell. He's an asshole, a bitch, he takes everything and everyone for granted. He took advantage of Stephanie," Hunter explained. "You deserve much better than that."

"Maybe," Stephanie said, taking her napkin and dabbing at her eyes underneath her glasses. They had dark blue shade so her eyes were kind of masked. "I just don't know what to do, it feels like my world is falling apart."

"Why don't we try and take your mind off of things for right now and dance?" Hunter asked, extending his hand towards her.

Stephanie sniffled and nodded wordlessly, putting her hand in Hunter's large one. He smiled at her and took her out to the dance floor where a semi-slow song was playing. Stephanie decided that this was the perfect opportunity to take Hunter's attraction for her and step it up a level and make it unbearable for him to be without her. She wanted him to crave her to the point where he could not stand one moment without him, and she knew exactly how to do that. Oh yes, she knew exactly how to do it.

She turned her back to Hunter as they were dancing and she languidly rubbed her ass up against the front of his pants, throwing him a playful look over her shoulder as she grabbed his arms and put them on her gyrating hips. Hunter was frozen for a moment, before moving along with her. She leaned her head back so that she could lean the side of her head against his cheek. She would alternate between rubbing up against his hard and soft, knowing it would drive him crazy.

He wasn't the only one she was driving crazy as Chris sat at the bar and took another shot. This was messing him up as he sat there watching his wife grinding against another man. He tried to tell himself this was part of the plan, but even so, it bothered the hell out of him. He had already told three girls to go to hell, a new record for him, seeing as how he wasn't one to turn the ladies down. He slammed his glass on the bar and asked for another one, telling the bartender to keep them coming.

Hunter moaned into Stephanie's ear and she felt a small part of victory already. There was another victory starting to poke in her back at the moment, and she would say that was a small victory too, very, very small. She pushed her ass against him again, but kept it there, holding the pose for a moment, feeling his desire growing. She turned to him and licked her lips seductively.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to freshen up," Stephanie told him huskily. She stepped away from him, leaving him practically drooling. That had been her plan all along, give him enough to get him riled up and then leave him wanting more so that she wouldn't actually have to go through with anything.

"Um, yeah, ok," Hunter said, still stunned and wanting her.

Chris saw Stephanie stepping away from Hunter and walking away, giving him one last lingering before leaving the dance floor completely. Chris got up quickly and followed Stephanie to the bathroom. He made sure that Hunter wasn't following them either because if he did anything to jeopardize the plan, Stephanie would kill him. Stephanie was just about to walk into the bathroom when Chris pulled her into a dark corner.

"Who the fuck!" Stephanie yelled as she was shoved against the wall.

"Who the hell do you think it is?" Chris said lowly, covering her body with his so that even if Hunter had followed her, he wouldn't be able to see her.

"Chris, what the fuck are you doing here?" Stephanie hissed as she glanced over Chris's shoulder. "I told you to stay in the hotel room."

"No you didn't," Chris told her. "So I didn't want to stay in that hotel, and I thought I would come and make sure that my wife didn't go around and fuck any other men. I wouldn't want to have to go through a nasty divorce Stephy."

"I wouldn't do such a thing," Stephanie protested, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Didn't seem to mind when you were grinding up against Hunter," Chris countered.

Stephanie let out a laugh, long and deep, "Are you kidding me Chris? Do you honestly think that was anything but me trying to get him to think he had a shot with me? Chrissy, baby, that was nothing, nothing but me getting him excited, if you know what I mean."

"I know exactly what you mean," Chris said, but was obviously not amused.

"Chrissy, don't be angry," Stephanie said, running her finger down his jaw. "You know I would never fuck him. He was lucky he ever fucked me to begin with."

"I don't care about what used to happen, for all I care you could've fucked half the company and I wouldn't have given a shit."

"Not even a little bit?" Stephanie said, batting her eyelashes.

"You could've sucked and fucked for all I care, but now you're my wife, so I do care if you're pressing your hot ass against his dick, ok Stephanie," Chris said. Stephanie rolled her eyes and leaned forward a little bit to lick his lips. Then she took her hand and ran it down the length of his chest until they came to rest on the front of his pants.

"The only dick I could ever want again would be yours," Stephanie said. "And I did tell you to save some for me later. Now why would I say that unless it was you I wanted to fuck and not that bastard sitting out there trying to get me drunk so that he can take me back to his hotel and fuck me and then make me think it was a mistake and not some part of his stupid little plan?"

"Well, why don't I find some whore and then I'll let her do the exact same things that you're doing to Hunter."

"Ooh, you're so jealous," Stephanie said to him. "Chrissy, baby, why do you have to be so jealous all the time? It's not like I've been unfaithful to you. I've kept my legs closed to other guys."

"And we all know how much of a stretch that is for you," Chris responded, which earned a smirk from Stephanie.

"Oh yeah, because I spread my legs like the overused whore that I am," she said. "Look, if you're so fucking jealous, why don't you take your ass out of here and stop spying on me like I'm some little girl and you're my overprotective father. Get a fucking life Chris and stay out of mine if that's what you want."

"Look bitch," Chris said, "I wasn't the one who fucking wanted to marry you in the first place. The only reason I married you was so that I could fuck you whenever I wanted. Sue me for thinking you're the best goddamn lay I've ever had."

"You can't resist my hot piece of ass," Stephanie said sweetly. "And the only reason I married you was so that Hunter wouldn't marry me on my deathbed. I could not be married to that bastard."

"You could've fucking 'died' before he ever got to say those binding 'I do's' and yet you chose to want to marry me instead," Chris said. "Why Stephanie? Why would you want to marry me?"

"Oh, you want me to say that I love you," Stephanie said. "Well it isn't going to happen Jericho. You are a pawn in my game, maybe a bishop, but nothing more."

"And you are just a bitch I'm using for money," Chris retorted. "That's all you are Stephanie, a big, stinking bitch who will use any person that's convenient. You sucked me into your goddamn world."

"You WANTED to come into my goddamn world," Stephanie said. "Don't think I didn't see the way you wanted to break free. You're about as innocent as the devil Jericho. You just didn't know how to unleash it."

"I had friends before you Stephanie, I had popularity and I had everything in the world."

"You didn't have me."

"I could've done without you…I would have a lot less misery in my life, that's for sure. And don't even say I'd have less sex, I'd have more, way more."

"But would you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I would Stephanie, and Lord knows that I wouldn't have to deal with your shit all the time."

"Oh please Jericho, tell me this, if you lived this life you think would be so grand, without me, if you had never come into my world, my life, what do you think your life would be like? Tell me."

"I don't know, but I wouldn't have to watch my wife grinding against a man I hate. I wouldn't have to fake someone's death, I'll tell you that."

"I'll tell you what you'd be doing," Stephanie said, ignoring him. "You'd have a wife, some blonde, little thing, pretty and doting and probably hot, and you'd have kids, one, maybe two, I don't know, and you would have your cute little house and maybe a dog, and you would be bored Chris Jericho. You would be bored out of your fucking mind and you would be out of the house as much as possible because you wouldn't want to deal with whiny ass kids, and a prissy bitch of a wife. You'd probably be driven to have an affair. And worst of all, you would call sex, 'making love,' like you could actually make love, like there's some recipe for it, add a dash of this with a pinch of that. You wouldn't call it by its right name, we fuck Jericho, plain and simple, there's no making love there."

"Yeah, but I still wouldn't have to deal with you," Chris told her.

"But you love dealing with me," Stephanie told him. "And you love that I'm a bitch, and you love that I'm the best sex you've ever had."

"So what if I do?" Chris asked with a smile.

"Nothing, but I told you to fucking save something for me for later and you lost it," Stephanie said, pouting.

"Oh don't you worry baby, it'll be there later," Chris said, kissing her hard. He growled against her mouth. Stephanie opened her eyes and saw Hunter looking for her by the bathrooms.

"Don't move," Stephanie mumbled against his lips even as she pulled him over her so she was hidden. "Hunter is right over there."

Chris didn't move a muscle as Stephanie saw Hunter wander away. "Is he gone?"

"Yeah," Stephanie said. "Now would you let me go back to doing my thing? I promise I will be back soon so stop spying on me."

"Fine, but I swear to God Stephanie…"

"Yeah, yeah, no touching or anything."

"You got that."

"I have it, now get the fuck out of here."

Stephanie straightened herself out and walked away from Chris, jumping a little when he slapped her on the ass. She walked back over to Hunter, and slid her arms over his shoulders and down his chest, bending down slowly so she could be next to his ear. She blew on it a little bit.

"I've been looking for you, I forgot where the table was," Stephanie coolly lied.

"Oh, that's ok," Hunter said, trying to play it nonchalant. "You wanna get out of here, it's a little too loud for me."

"Oh, sure," Stephanie said as he stood up and she followed suit.

He grabbed her hand and whisked her out of the club and gave the valet guy his ticket. They waited and Hunter wrapped his arm around her. She tried not to push it off and was successful for the most part. He opened the door for her and then got in as they drove to the hotel. Stephanie thought that he was going to take her up to her room, but they pressed the button for his floor.

"Where are we going?" Stephanie asked kindly. She hated being kind in any capacity. She wasn't even nice to kids, stupid brats, good-for-nothings who took all of your money because they couldn't earn it their own damn selves.

"My room, I thought that we could talk for a while," Hunter said. "Unless you don't…"

"No, that's fine," Stephanie said, "I would love to talk to you."

She made sure she put a little emphasis on the "love," so he might get other ideas. As soon as they were inside his room and on his couch, she knew he did get it as he kissed her. Stephanie had been expecting it, but made sure to seem surprised as she pushed him away.

"What in God's green earth do you think you're doing?" Stephanie said.

"I'm so sorry, I just…I don't know what came over me," Hunter said, blushing. "I guess…I just, I'm so attracted to you, and I just thought that maybe…maybe you were too."

"Well, I'm attracted to you too," Stephanie said, "You can do that again."

Hunter wasted no time in pawing at her again, covering her with his whole body almost. Stephanie was stunned at how aggressive he was being. Maybe if he had been like this when they were together she wouldn't have hated him so much. Oh wait, yes she would, seeing as how he tore her and Chris apart unnecessarily. Before she knew it, his hand was on her breast and this was where she had to stop it.

"Oh Hunter, I couldn't, I can't do this, I love Chris," Stephanie said, hoping that it stung that he had lost another woman to Chris.

"Mary, its ok, I promise, he won't have to know. It'll be our little secret, I swear," he said, his voice desperate and needy.

"I just can't," Stephanie said, sniffling. "I love him."

"You can leave him, you can."

Stephanie got up and stormed out of the room without another room, leaving a stunned Hunter sitting there. She took off her glasses and shook out her hair as she walked back to her own hotel room. She opened the door and into the bedroom. Chris was in there and she was surprised to see him asleep. All his spying must've made him tired. He was looking delicious sleeping there, only in a pair of boxers and the sheets hanging off his lower body. Hunter had not made her horny in the slightest, but looking at Chris, all she wanted to do at the moment was screw.

She walked over to the bed, stripping off all her clothes before crawling up and over Chris's body. She slowly started pulling his boxers down and she had them half-way off before he even stirred. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling and then closed them again.

"I told you whatever your name is that you had to get the hell out of here before my fucking wife came back."

"Very funny Jericho," Stephanie said, coming up to look down in his eyes.

"Oh, it's you, have fun screwing your fiancé?" Chris asked.

"Let me tell you all about it…"


	14. Chapter 14

Stephanie rolled her eyes as she watched Chris work diligently. She knew that it was for a good cause, but that didn't mean she wanted all his attention on his work and none of his attention on her. She sighed melodically, hoping that he would hear her and pay attention to her and stop fooling around with his work. He looked up at her briefly and then rolled his eyes as he went back to his work.

She realized this was going nowhere and picked up a script for tonight's show, reading over what everyone was doing. Her eyes fell on a couple of names and she smiled wickedly, tapping her chin with her manicured finger. She sat up a little bit straighter, tossing the script onto the table and got up slowly and walked languidly over to Chris, draping her arms across his shoulders.

"Chrissy, baby?"

"Stephanie, we fucked this morning, have a little fucking restraint," Chris said exasperatedly.

"No, it's not that," she said, her tone flirty and lilting.

"Oh, so you have a plan then, because that voice means two things, you either want to fuck or you want to scheme," he said, and he sat back, smirking and folding his arms across his chest. "So who is it Steph? Shane or Hunter?"

"Neither, I just wanted to ask you if the rumors circulating around are true, are Lita and Edge an item?"

"Yeah, I think so, what are you planning?"

"Well, I would hate to see Edge happy, after what he did to us, breaking us up like that, making Hunter get me drunk and making you so mad at me," she said innocently, then her look turned decidedly sinister. "I just wanted a quick fix for that, breaking the two of them up so that Edge can go back to being the miserable little bastard that I think he is."

"Go for it, what do I care what you do to Edge?" Chris said, then off her glare. "Of course I'd love to see him crumbled in a heap on the ground, but I think this is more your area of expertise."

"So you're just going to leave me alone to do this all by myself."

"Every wife needs a pet project," Chris told her.

"A pet project? Seriously, this whole 'corporate' thing you have going on right now, total turn-off, almost makes me want to find someone who'll let loose a little. You're expendable Chris."

"I am, am I?" he asked.

"Do you know how easy it was to get you to play with me?" Stephanie asked, taking a few steps away from his desk, her back towards him. She turned around abruptly, "It was so easy Chrissy, you wanted to play, and I'm sure there's another guy out there who likes to play just as much."

"I'm not going to become the Hunter in your little game Stephanie, I keep too many tabs on you for that to happen," Chris said calmly.

"So you've got what? Private investigators on me?" Stephanie returned incredulously. "If you do, make sure they're hot and willing to take a bribe so should I ever encounter them I can offer them one of the two, or both if I'm feeling particularly kicky that day."

"Things used to be so different with us, we used to be friends."

"Yeah, and we used to not fuck, tell me you want to go back to that," Stephanie told him. She came back around and sat down on his lap. "Chrissy, I just want to switch the storyline a little bit. Maybe get Matt back into the mix, since he and Lita used to date right?"

"Yes, they did."

"Well, with my father and brother otherwise MIA, you are in charge of any…last-second changes to the script, and I think this is a good way to start a little thing between them. Please Chrissy, it'll give me something to do until Shane gets back from this extended vacation he's taking at my mother's expense, the little shit says he's in mourning, pile of bullshit…"

"Ok, I'll do it, you can change the Lita and Edge story to your heart's content, you knew that I'd never resist you, not when you're the only one I can go to for some…satisfaction."

"That's right and don't forget that," she said, leaning down to kiss him. She kept it short and relatively chase and when she pulled away, Chris looked understandably upset that, that was all he had gotten from her. "You said you weren't in the mood to fuck, so I thought that extended to kissing."

She got off his lap quickly and he swatted at her ass as she got up. She gave him a teasing look over her shoulder before she left, going out into the hallway to get a little bit of dirt on Edge and Lita, and their relationship. If she was going to do this right, she was going to have to get a little more information on the couple and their weaknesses and how she was going to exploit it effectively.

Before she could do anything productive, she saw Hunter leaning against a wall up ahead. She groaned; the last person that she wanted to deal with was Hunter. He was clingy and desperate and if she was a normal human, with normal emotions, she would've felt sympathetic to him, but she wasn't normal and so she didn't give a damn. It only bothered her because she was forced to pretend like it bothered her.

She turned the other way, intending to just walk the other way around the arena and avoid him altogether. Unfortunately for her, Hunter caught her out of the corner of his eye just as she was turning. His eyes lit up as he saw her and gave chase. Stephanie could hear him, and she tried to walk faster, but she was wearing heels and he wasn't, so the chase wasn't that hard for him.

"Mary, wait up, please."

She slowed down to a stop with a heavy sigh. "Hunter, I think this is neither the time nor the place to have a discussion."

"I just needed to talk to you about the other night."

"There was no other night," Stephanie drawled lazily. "What happened was a mistake on my part. It never should've happened."

"How can you say that?" Hunter asked.

"Because I can," she said, and she tried not to sound snotty and potentially blow her cover, but it was so hard when this man, this hateful man was standing right in front of her. "I'm married Hunter, or have you forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten, but you said yourself that you weren't happy with him," Hunter said softly, reaching out to touch her arm. She shrugged away from the contact. "You don't need Chris, the things he's done, the things he's said, he's not good enough for someone like you."

"And what makes you think that you are? You know Chris has told me quite a few things about you too Hunter…things like you're still hung up on Stephanie, well, I'm not Stephanie, and I never plan to be Stephanie, so you can't have me just to change me into some Stephanie clone."

"I would never do that," he said strongly. "I like you the way you are, I like you, do you hear that? I haven't liked anyone since Stephanie died, you're the first. I feel like we have this connection."

"I think that you're wrong," Stephanie said, playing hard-to-get now. The more she kept him stirring, the more that he would want her, and the more crushed he would be later on. "I love Chris, he's the only one for me, he's the only one I have."

"Mary, please, I just can't stop thinking about you, you're…I don't know, please."

Stephanie ran a hand down his cheek and rested her fingers lightly on his chin. She smiled kindly and that was always how it had to be before delivering the blowing news. "There will never be anything between us."

She pulled away and started walking away, leaving the stunned Hunter in her wake. She felt good for that, knowing that Hunter was going to be reeling from her rejection. There was something in Stephanie's soul that just loved to make people miserable. And yes, Stephanie did have a soul, but it was as black as the dead of night, and she had no intention of ever changing that fact.

Hunter stood there, and he had to come to a decision. He hadn't felt this way about anyone since Stephanie and he wanted Mary so badly. He could even go so far as to say that he was aching for her. He resolved himself to have her, by any means necessary, and he didn't care what he had to do. The bastard in him was creeping up a bit and he could feel it surging through his veins.

He walked to Chris's office purposefully, knowing what he was about to do. And if he had to do this, then so be it. Chris had slept with Stephanie, had fucked her right under his nose; the least he could do was steal his wife from him like Chris had stolen Stephanie from him. Sure, neither one had gotten her in the end (shows how much Hunter knew), but he could steal Mary from him and leave Chris the cold, unfeeling bastard that he was. He barged into Chris's office and Chris looked up at groaned.

"What the fuck do you want Trips?" Chris asked testily.

"I needed to talk to you about where your wife was last week?"

Chris decided to play dumb, "Where WAS my wife last week?"

"With me," Hunter said smugly. "I asked her out for drinks and we went to a club."

"Interesting," he said coolly. "And you felt compelled to tell me this because…"

"I fucked your wife," Hunter said arrogantly.

Chris squinted his eyes in suspicion. "You what?"

"I fucked her, we went out for drinks, and after that, went back to my hotel room. I thought it would be the decent thing to do, Stephanie never told me she fucked you, and that was probably some information I would've liked to have known. So I'm letting you know now that I fucked Mary, and she's good, really good."

Chris sucked at his teeth a little, wondering how he was going to field this. Did he know if Stephanie slept with Hunter or not? No, he didn't, but did he believe Hunter? No, he didn't. Stephanie had not been unfaithful to him in all the time they had been married. It was like a silent promise they had to each other, neither one acknowledged it seriously, but they were married in every sense of the word, no cheating, no secrets, and he did love her.

"Oh, is that so?" Chris asked. "Well, that bitch is going to pay."

Chris got up from his desk and stormed out of the room. Hunter was right on his tail and Chris looked around hastily. He didn't see Stephanie in the immediate area, so he looked left and right and chose one way to go, stalking down the hall with malice in his face. He didn't find Stephanie down this hallway so he went down the other way, Hunter still following like a puppy behind him. He found Stephanie in front of a mirror, fixing a few strands of her hair and Chris walked quickly over to her, grabbing her arm away from her face. Stephanie looked at him startled and Chris winked.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me? Chris, what's wrong?"

"Are you sleeping with this asshole?" Chris asked, jerking his finger towards Hunter, who was still behind him.

"Chris, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Stephanie protested.

"The other night, when you went out, you went out with him, drinks and fucking, that's what happened according to Trips over here, so tell me, dear wife, were you sleeping with him while I was waiting for your ass back in the hotel room?"

"Chris, no, please, don't believe it!"

"Mary, don't lie, it's ok," Hunter said.

"What!" Stephanie exclaimed. "He's lying Chris, he's a liar."

"Mary, I know that you wanted to get away from him, and it's fine, you can get away from him now, he won't hurt you anymore…just look at how he's grabbing your arm," Hunter pointed out.

Stephanie hadn't even realized that Chris still had a hold of her arm. They were always being a little rough with each other and she had developed an almost immunity to him. This was not hard grabbing according to her and so she hadn't even noticed it. She looked down at her arm a little bit and shook Chris off, rubbing it, pretending that it hurt.

"He wouldn't mean to hurt me," Stephanie said softly.

"Mary, look at what he's reduced you to!" Hunter said. "You can do better!"

"Babe, what the hell is he talking about? You're thinking about leaving me!" Chris said crossly. His eyes were glowering at her, acting like they were mad and she resisted the urge to laugh, a rather strong urge.

"Chris, no, I…I don't know, I mean, things are different since you came back to work, I don't know anymore."

"You can't go off with this asshole," Chris said, "I wouldn't allow it."

"Now he's trying to control you," Hunter added.

"Would you stay the hell out of this you asshole," Chris snapped at Hunter. "It's none of your goddamn business. This is between me and my wife."

"Mary, you really don't have to take this, seriously, you don't," Hunter told her gently.

"Like hell she does," Chris said, grabbing Stephanie and shoving her. Stephanie fell to the ground and she started crying.

Hunter was by her side in a moment's notice. He knelt down with her and his breathing was short as he looked up at Chris with anger in his eyes. Chris just stared down at the two of them in disgust. Stephanie was sniffling, trying to keep her eyes away from her husband's. If she looked at him, Lord knows what she would do.

"You can have that whore I call a wife, I don't give a shit anymore," Chris said, walking away. "Do whatever the hell you want with her."

Chris stomped away, and Hunter looked down at the fallen woman. "Are you ok?"

"Why did you do that?" Stephanie asked slowly. "Why did you lie to him like that?"

"Because I couldn't stand the way he was treating you. I couldn't stand to see you like that anymore. It was hurting me Mary, and I just couldn't stand it anymore."

"He hates me."

"Forget about him, look at what he did to you, he shoved you. He grabbed you. This is not the kind of man that you should be with."

"Can you drive me back to the hotel?" Stephanie asked. "I just really need to go back to the hotel and get a new room. Chris won't take me back tonight."

"I wouldn't let you go back to him. I wouldn't let you ever go back to him."

Hunter led her out of there, leading her to his car. He drove her to the hotel and made sure she got a new room. He left her there, knowing that she would be safe and Chris would never find her. Little did Hunter know that Chris had followed them the entire way there and was now standing around a corner as Hunter left Stephanie. As soon as Hunter had left and Chris heard the soft whooshing that signaled the closing of the elevators, Chris walked up to the room and knocked on the door. Stephanie opened it a second later.

"Thank God it's you, if I had to take one more second of that man's apologies and whinings, I probably would've put a bullet in my skull."

"I didn't hurt you when I shoved you did I?" Chris asked.

"No, you gave me a pansy-ass shove, I had to fall on my ass by myself, thanks a lot," she said, letting him into her room. "So what exactly happened to make you act that way? What did Hunter tell you exactly?"

"That you fucked each other when you went out for drinks. Jackass doesn't know that you hardly had the time to fuck him between drinks and coming back to me. Who the hell does he think he is, lying to me like that and making me think shit like that?"

"I don't care, but the fact remains, we're on the outs, so any and all contact from now on has to be done on the sly."

"Fine, if that's how it has to be, that's how it has to be, but one of us will be sneaking into the other's room at night because you cannot deprive me of your body for too long."

"Whatever Prince Charming," Stephanie said lightly. "Can you believe him though?"

"He's just trying something Steph."

"What's that?"

"He wants to steal you from me like I stole you from him."


	15. Chapter 15

_She was in a flowing white gown, the one you always see in sequences like this. This time was no exception as the dress was low-cut and spaghetti-strapped and hugged all the right curves on her body. But the bottom, the skirt just kept flowing, flowing on forever, pooling around where her feet were supposed to be and extending out and out and out and she was floating it seemed because the dress was flowing so freely like water from a stream._

_It was impossibly white around her and the darkness of her hair the only thing that kept him from being blinded. Her hair was long, longer than it usually was and her hairs was curled, just like she used to do it, with glowing barrettes holding it out of her face. There was a circle of light around her face, making her glow, her skin a pale color, but still retaining color it seemed._

"_Hunter," she whispered sweetly, her voice more melodic than any musical instrument he had ever heard._

_He couldn't speak, only watch her as she floated there. Where was he? He wasn't even aware of his own self. He seemed to be a ball of nothingness just staring at Stephanie. He couldn't find his voice, just looking at her in all her splendor. He was so enamored by her being he couldn't do anything but look at her._

"_Hunter," she repeated a soft smile coming over her face. "Do you miss me?"_

_He felt the words he was about to say floating around him before his mouth actually moved. "Yes," he croaked out._

"_You killed me," she said, smiling devilishly. "You killed me Hunter. It was all your fault."_

"_What?"_

"_You killed me, you did this to me, I'm dead because of YOU!" she said, but her voice wasn't angry, no it wasn't angry at all, but it was accusing. She didn't point fingers at him, but he could feel her blaming him._

"_No," he said softly. "You were in an accident."_

"_No, I wanted to die because of you," Stephanie said, and she seemed to rise higher, her dress rippling below her. "You were NEVER enough for me Hunter, I would've killed myself before I married you."_

"_You don't mean that."_

_She laughed, and it was like heaven, it was the sweetest sound his ears had ever heard. She threw her head back, her brown hair tossing behind her in a cascading waterfall. She turned to him again. "Of course I meant it, I'm not a LIAR like you are. You took him from me Hunter, you took CHRIS from me!"_

"_I had to," he pleaded, and she was towering over him now. "For us."_

"_You lied to me, you manipulated me, you made him hate me, you made him hate me." She sounded sad now, like nothing was right and she floated back down to his eye-level, but she was towering over him, was he kneeling or something? Were those wretched sobs his? Suddenly she changed and she wasn't the angel in white she had just been. Now she was in black, a short black dress that was tight on her, her breasts nearly popping free from the material holding them in. Her hair was pulled back and out of her face and her eyes were lined in smoky makeup. _

"_Stephanie, I love you, I wouldn't do anything unless I was sure. He wouldn't have been good for you!"_

"_You took him away from me!"_

"_You fucked him behind my back!" Hunter yelled at her._

_Her eyes darkened and suddenly another pair of hands were snaking around her waist. Chris's head was suddenly over Stephanie's shoulder and he was kissing her neck softly, letting his lips linger on her skin as she moaned lowly, her eyes never straying from his gaze. She stared at him as she reached a hand up and threaded it through Chris's blonde hair. Her lips turned up into a smile._

"_It was the best decision I ever made," she said, her voice gravelly and filled with passion for Chris. She turned her head and captured his lips with her own and when she was done she turned back to Hunter and licked her lips. "He tastes good. You were never enough Hunter…I hated you every single goddamn moment. You took him away from me…you killed me."_

"_You killed her," Chris whispered harshly, his expression evil. "You killed her…"_

"_You killed me," Stephanie repeated over and over again, her voice getting lower and lower with each word until it was a cacophony of sound surrounding him, drowning him, and then they laughed and he fell and kept falling seeing their laughter as if it was written word._

Hunter shot up from his bed, his breathing heavy and labored as he looked around his dark bedroom. It was a dream, of course it was a dream, but it was a dream that had been plaguing him since Stephanie's letter had found its way to his open hand. It had been there since Chris had admitted that he had slept with Stephanie. And it never got any better, and the laughter never got any softer; it was still reverberating in his mind.

He tried to swallow the pain, but his mouth was so dry. He needed a glass of water to clear his throat and his mind. He sat there for a moment though, trying to collect his thoughts. Stephanie, he missed her so much and he would never forget her, but he had to move on. He had to move on and live his life. He wouldn't forget her, far from it, but he could start to heal, was that too much to ask?

He got out of the bed and padded his way downstairs, going slowly, still trying to calm himself down after his dream had shaken him up. He just couldn't understand why she would sleep with him. Had he not been enough for her? Had she been drunk? What was it? If he could have Stephanie back for one more minute, that's the one question he would ask of her…the one question.

He walked into the dark kitchen, the only light coming from the streetlight outside, its light pouring in through the blinds, creating slats of light across the counter. He walked closer, looking down at the floor when he heard a slight noise. He looked up to see what it had been and he gasped audibly.

"Steph?" Hunter said to the form standing in the kitchen.

Stephanie turned, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Mary," Hunter said, taking a few steps closer to see her standing there, drinking from a glass. He noticed what she was wearing. "Where'd you get that robe?"

"Oh, I found it on the bed in my room, I didn't know that I couldn't wear it," she drawled, looking down at the robe. She knew that it had been her robe, and she found it pathetic that he would have it still lying around when she had been "dead" for over a year now.

"No, its ok, it was just…it was Stephanie's," Hunter gulped.

"Oh, I'm SO sorry," Stephanie said, pretending to be apologetic. "I will take it off right this instant, I had no idea."

"No, its ok, I just…for a second, you reminded me of her, I was startled is all. Go ahead, it's kind of cold in the house anyways, I wouldn't want you to be cold."

"Aren't you sweet," Stephanie said sweetly. "You are just the sweetest man I've ever come across in my entire life, letting me stay here."

"I couldn't let you go back to Chris," Hunter told her. She shrugged and he continued. "He's not good enough for someone like you. He's nothing but a bastard."

Stephanie knew who the real bastard was, but she kept up appearances. Hunter had let her stay over here while she was "fighting" with Chris. Chris had been none to happy about this little development and Stephanie had had to spend three hours convincing him that this would be good in the long run. He just didn't want to go more than one night without fucking her. She had to admit that it was hard not being around him. Not that she would admit that to Chris, no way, no how.

"I'd rather not talk about him if it's all the same to you," Stephanie said, pretending to get choked up. "I just don't want to put myself in a situation where I'm …I just…I'm so confused."

"Hey, it's ok," Hunter said, going over and wrapping her into his strong arms. Stephanie rolled her eyes as he hugged her. She sniffled and looked up at him. "You know, you kind of remind me of Stephanie. I mean, you're different, she had blue eyes and you have green eyes and you don't have the same color hair and she had the cutest chin dimple, plus you speak with an accent, but somehow, you seem familiar."

"What are you saying?" she asked softly, her voice just above a whisper. If he tried to kiss her, she was going to throw up in her mouth a little.

"You're beautiful," Hunter said, his voice matching hers. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you are right now."

"What about Stephanie?"

Hunter tucked some of Stephanie's hair from around her face. He slid his hand down her cheek and cupped her chin in his hand. If he messed up her chin, she was going to make him pay for a new one. He just stared at her, and she looked down, trying to act demure, but in actuality, trying to hold her dinner in her stomach.

"I don't know, I just feel so…connected with you."

He tipped her face up and she saw him leaning in closer, licking his lips just before he was going to touch hers. She pulled away abruptly. "I'm married, I can't…"

She rushed off and Hunter just watched her go. She knew that she had to keep resisting him, and truly, it wasn't that hard. He was such a dick, had been for so long, and this act, this character he was playing now, it was just a fucking ruse that she didn't want to put up with, but had to. She alighted the stairs, wishing that she could sneak out and go see Chris. She hated being in this house, it brought back bad memories of times past. How could she have ever thought she was happy with Hunter?

Hunter just stood there and sighed. He thought that maybe if he kissed Mary that Stephanie would vanish from his mind. He was so desperate for Stephanie that he began to think that Mary looked like Stephanie, but they didn't. There were subtle similarities, but he found subtle similarities in most of the women he came across. One woman would have Stephanie's eyes, but then she wouldn't have Stephanie's nose. Another would have Stephanie's laugh, but she'd look nothing like her.

But Stephanie was so firmly planted in his mind that he couldn't escape her. She was his…he didn't know what she was, but she was his burden. She was the cross that he had to bear for the rest of his life. Maybe he would've moved on if he hadn't found out about her and Chris, but he had found out about them. That set his mind into a frenzy of questions that would never get answers. Sure, he could grill Chris for two days and get some answers, but Chris couldn't get in Stephanie's head; he couldn't know everything there was to know about what she was thinking when she fucked Chris. No, all those secrets had been buried in the ground with her body.

The next day, Stephanie was sitting in the car with Hunter. He had promised to take her to lunch. She just wanted to get there so she could sneak away and call Chris and tell him to meet her there. Then they could have a quickie in the bathroom to satiate the burning need inside of her. She needed Chris, she needed to feel him all around her because she was feeling weak without him. Not weak in the sense that she could be a pushover, but weak in the sense that fucking with Chris was about as essential as food with her.

The car stopped and she looked around, expecting to be a restaurant. But no, they were at the…cemetery. Stephanie groaned inwardly. He couldn't possibly think taking her here was a good idea. She feared for any future relationships Hunter had if he thought a good time included a good old-fashioned trip to the cemetery. She rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses and turned to Hunter, trying to act confused.

"Hunter, what are we doing here?"

"I'm sorry Mary, I just needed to see Stephanie," Hunter said sheepishly. "You can wait in the car if you want."

"Ok," she said, not arguing as she sat back in her seat.

Hunter got out of the car and started walking towards Stephanie's grave over a little hill. Stephanie scoffed as she rolled her eyes again and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Chris's number and tapped her perfectly manicured fingernails along the armrest as she waited for him to answer. She figured Hunter would stay for a while so she could talk to her husband.

"What is it?"

"Someone's testy," Stephanie told him.

"Well that's what comes from not having you," Chris said sarcastically. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling you, what does it sound like I'm doing?" Stephanie shot back. "I need you. WE were supposed to be at a restaurant where I would call you and you'd come over and fuck me."

"You need to be fucked?"

"Don't I always?" Stephanie said seductively. "I want to feel you Chris, you know that. You could take me to the car and fuck me in the backseat for all I care. As long as you do me hard."

"You drive me crazy," he said, and she recognized that his voice had gotten deeper. He was getting aroused.

"You would just throw me in the backseat, raise up my skirt, spread my legs wide and take me right there Chris."

"Stephanie, don't even start with me," he growled.

"But that's what I want," she said, pouting. "That's what I NEED. I need you inside of me Chris, I need you above me, pounding hard--"

"I'm hanging up the phone."

"I'll call you later handsome," Stephanie purred, hanging up the phone. Now she wanted Chris more than ever, as her heart was pounding and her face a little flushed as she thought of all the delicious things that she wanted Chris to do to her, and all the naughty things that she wanted to do to Chris. She sighed and got out of the car, intending to get Hunter so they could go and so she could get with her husband.

She walked up behind him, where he was standing in front of her grave. She glanced at her mother's briefly before going to stand next to Hunter. "Don't you think it's about time that you start to let go?"

Hunter turned to her. "I wish I knew how."

"You visit her everyday?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "Because I feel like she's still with me if I do. Because maybe one day she'll show up and tell me why she slept with Chris, why she cheated on me."

"Oh," Stephanie said, staying silent for a few moments.

"Yeah," Hunter answered, just as verbose as she was.

"You should let her go," Stephanie said, leaning up to whisper in his ear. She repeated the phrase a few times, and then she dropped the accent, going into her normal voice. "I slept with him because I wanted to be fucked by someone that knew how."

Hunter's head turned sharply towards Stephanie's and she repeated, in her accent that he needed to let her go. His eyes grew wide. "What did you say?"

"I said you should let her go."

"No, no," he shook his head frantically. "No, you were Stephanie, you sounded just like Stephanie, you told me, you told me why you slept with Chris, no, you told me!"

Stephanie took a step back, biting her lip so she didn't smirk. "All I said was you should let her go, I never said anything about sleeping with nobody."

Hunter teared up. "God, now I'm hearing things."

Stephanie leaned up close to him again. "My Grammy always done told me that dead people's spirits linger around those who can't forget about them. Seems to me that you got yourself a spirit that you can't let go of."

Hunter looked at her. "She haunts my dreams, I dream about her, I think about her, I can't escape her at all."

"She's haunting you, I would go and bet you right now that she's here, looking at you, wondering why in the good Lord's name you haven't been able to move on. Judging from her headstone over there, she's been gone for over a year, and yet, here you stand, and I'm not saying that you should just forget about her, but move on Hunter, for sanity's sake. Let her spirit go free."

"I can't…I still need her."

Stephanie started to walk away, tiring of this conversation, but she was going to leave him with some biting words. And the words would extend far deeper than Hunter would ever realize because she was Stephanie and she was the one in control of his puny, little heart. She would get her revenge on him soon enough, and the words would haunt him more than her not-so-dead spirit. She turned to him as he watched her, staring at him straight on as she uttered seven little words that cut right through his heart.

"Then she'll be the death of you."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I'm SO sorry for the delay in updating this. I had the worst case of writer's block for it. I knew where I wanted to take it, but getting there was so hard. Anyways, the only way I'm going to get out of my writer's block is to keep writing. I don't really care for this chapter, but it's here and it'll hopefully get the creative juices flowing again.

Please leave a review. :)

* * *

"What do you mean by that?" Hunter called after her.

Stephanie turned around and put a faux-sympathetic face on. "Hunter, don't you think that it's time to let go of this silly, little dream you have of Stephanie just randomly showing up?"

"It's not a…I don't dream that," Hunter said firmly. "I just wonder what could've happened if…if she had lived."

"And what do you think about with that?" Stephanie asked, wanting to know just what Hunter thought of this perfect life that he envisioned for the both of them. Whatever it was, she knew that she was going to gag over the flowery nature that it was sure to take.

"I don't know really, I mean, there's like a lot of different possibilities that our lives could've taken…"

"But really? How did you see it?" she asked, pretending to sound interested. Okay, so she was a little curious to hear what he thought their lives would've been like. The way that Stephanie had been when she was with Hunter was not her true self, but Hunter had loved that fake Stephanie, the plastic Stephanie, the Stepford wife Stephanie. How would that play into his imaginary world?

"Maybe a baby on the way," he said wistfully. Stephanie resisted the urge to scoff. She did not want a child, she was not going to ruin her figure by having some little rug-rat. She and Chris took the utmost precautions to prevent that from happening. "I don't know, I would've loved to have had kids with her."

"Oh," was Stephanie's only response. She wanted to scream at him, yell at him and tell him that she never would've bore him a child. She didn't want to give birth to his spawn, didn't want to go through the pains of labor for him and certainly didn't want stretch marks for him. Lord, she didn't even want stretch marks for Chris and she loved him.

"I know, stupid huh?"

"Why do you think it's stupid?"

"She's dead," he said, and the words hit him like a ton of bricks. He literally collapsed onto his knees in front of her and she raised an eyebrow, not expecting this kind of reaction from him. She was disgusted by the sight in front of her. She had been dead for a year, for God's sake, grow some balls and get over it, is all she could think about. He was sobbing now and she knew she'd have to play the part.

Stephanie sighed and walked a little closer to him, blowing her hair out of her face a little as she awkwardly bent over a little patting Hunter on the shoulder in an odd kind of pattern. She didn't know how to comfort this man, nor did she even want to. "There, there…"

"I'm sorry, I'm a mess, I'm always a mess when I come here," Hunter told her, his voice muffled through his hands.

"Then why do you keep coming back?" she asked him.

"Because if I don't, then she's really gone."

"I think she's really gone anyways, and it seems to me she didn't really like you all that much to begin with."

Hunter shoved her off and Stephanie fell back against her own gravestone and hit the back of her leg hard against it. She didn't yelp in pain or anything because she had felt worse pain, hell Chris was more rough with her in the bedroom, but she knew that she was going to leave a bruise and that pissed her off. Bruises were ugly and the made your skin look ugly. She stomped off away from him.

"I'll get my own ride back," she drawled angrily as she walked away from him.

Hunter, realizing what he had done, got up and quickly went after her. He grabbed her by the arm and twisted her towards him. Something flashed in her face and he studied it for a moment, as if he recognized it, but then it was gone. Her teeth were gritted as she looked down at his hand grabbing her wrist.

"Let go of me," she told him angrily.

"I'm sorry Mary, I really am," Hunter apologized. "I just, I know that she's gone, and I know that she had an affair with Chris and it just hurts, I don't even want to think about that fact that she cheated on me when I loved her so much."

"Let go of me," she repeated.

"Mary, please, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

Stephanie grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and started to look through her phone for Chris's number. Hunter grabbed the phone from her and she looked at him, eyes wide, not believing that he would be so forward as to do something like that. Stephanie almost growled in anger and tried to grab her phone back.

"Please Mary, just listen to me," Hunter pleaded.

Stephanie kneed him in the stomach, causing him to double over and drop both her hand and her phone. She picked up her phone and walked away from Hunter, looking over her shoulder and seeing him still slumped down over the grass. She dialed Chris's number quickly. She looked over her shoulder again.

"So when do I get to fuck you?" Chris's low voice came over the line. "Is it time yet?"

"No time for that," Stephanie said, keeping her accent on. "I need you to come pick me up at the cemetery. Right now."

"What's wrong?" Chris asked and she heard something in his voice.

"Don't fucking worry about me, just fucking worry about getting here right now before I get angry and then kick you in the balls," Stephanie said as she walked further away from Hunter. "I'll be at the entrance."

Stephanie walked away from Hunter, not looking back. Obviously he got the picture since she didn't feel his presence behind her. She walked to the front gate, waiting for Chris to show up. She was beyond angry now, she was in a deep dark place. Her mind flitted over the past, over a year ago when Hunter had betrayed her and made her someone that she wasn't. She had dressed differently, acted differently, she had been a shadow of herself and it was all his fault. Her anger rose to dangerous levels.

That's when Chris's car pulled up. Stephanie looked back one more time, seeing Hunter watching her and she sent him a glare to end all glares. She got into the car with Chris, who sent her a questioning look. She climbed into the driver's seat, straddling his lap and kissing him deeply. He lifted her skirt up over her ass, caressing the soft, pliant skin. He ran his hands up and down the back of her thighs and she hissed in pain against his mouth.

Chris pulled away and looked at her critically. "Did I hurt you? I didn't even do anything."

"It's not that, don't worry about it," Stephanie told him, going back to kissing him. Chris, however, was going to worry about it because Stephanie was holding something back. He ran his hand over the same spot and felt her wince against his lips. He pulled away again and she looked at him, wanting and craving more. "Fuck me now Chris."

"Stephanie, what the hell is wrong with you?" Chris asked testily.

"Fine, you want to know what's wrong with me?" Stephanie told him and Chris nodded sarcastically. "Here's what's wrong with me, Hunter shoved me and I hit my own gravestone in a delicious little piece of irony and now I have a bruise on the back of my leg. Is that what you want to hear?"

Chris suddenly pushed Stephanie off of him, despite having gotten a little bit aroused by the contact. He got out of the car before Stephanie could stop him. Chris stalked back into the cemetery and back to where Hunter was standing and punched him square in the jaw. Chris shook his hand out a little bit and waited for Hunter to stand up again. He was going to kick his ass for hurting Stephanie.

"Get up you son of a bitch!" Chris yelled at him.

Hunter stood up, grabbing his jaw. "Look, you have the--"

Chris punched him again, Hunter groaning as he doubled over, grabbing his jaw a little tighter now. He knew there was going to be a bruise and Chris knew too, but he wasn't satisfied. "How dare you touch my wife you fucking bastard! How fucking dare you!"

"I didn't mean to, she said—she said that Stephanie never loved me!" Hunter screamed.

"How do you know she even did?" Chris said. "You didn't know Stephanie, you never knew Stephanie!"

Chris was getting so frustrated now. This man was mourning a woman he didn't even know. He never knew Stephanie, not the real Stephanie. He was the only one who knew the real Stephanie and he loved her for being real. He loved everything about her, good and bad, and he made no pretense of changing her into something that he wanted. But Hunter did not know that about her.

And then he had tried to change her, he had tried to change her and he had manipulated the both of them. Chris would never forget the plan that had torn him and Stephanie apart. He would never forget the look on Stephanie's face after he had fucked her that first time. She had looked so lost and vulnerable and he hated that look, he hated when Stephanie was vulnerable and it had been all Hunter's fault that he had ever had to see that face.

No, this man had no right to mourn Stephanie, even if she wasn't dead.

"I knew her better than you!" Hunter yelled at him, struggling to stand up.

"No you didn't," Chris said coldly. "Did you even know anything about her relationship with Shane?"

"They argued," Hunter answered.

"Yeah, that's it," Chris said with a scoff. "You didn't know anything about the person that Stephanie was, and you'll never know. You lost her man, remember that and move on with your fucking life. You think she wants you here every goddamn day? No, she probably thinks you're a fucking pussy."

"Just get the hell away from me!" Hunter said, turning away.

"You're pathetic."

"You don't think I don't know that!" Hunter screamed, turning back to Chris. "You think I don't know how unhealthy it is to be here. I just…I miss her, you don't get it, you don't understand."

"What? You think you're the only one who misses her?" Chris asked. "You think you're the only one who thinks about what could've been? You're not the only one hurt here man. Don't pretend like you are."

"What, you're going to tell me you loved her now or something?"

"Please, I didn't love Stephanie any more than she loved me," he lied. "She was a bitch and she was a thorn in my side, but damn it, she was a good person deep down."

"I know," Hunter answered.

"Then let her go man," Chris said with a smirk. Just let her go and stop being such a fucking pussy about this. She's dead man, six fee under and she ain't coming back."

"Shut up," Hunter said, crumbling.

"And if you ever touch my wife again, you'll get a lot worse than a couple punches and the truth, let that be known."

Chris walked away, getting back into the car with Stephanie. He leaned his head against the back of his chair, shaking out his hand a little bit. Stephanie reached out and rubbed his thigh. He felt her hand on his and he looked down briefly, then glanced over at her. She gave him a soft look, one of the few ones he ever got from her. It was a rare occurrence and he took it in for a moment.

"You okay?"

"You're actually asking if I'm okay?" he joked.

"You're my husband and I kind of saw the yelling match that you were having with him over there and I figured if ever I was going to be nice, it should be right now," she told him, trying to play it off as a joke, but he knew better.

"I'm fine, it's that bastard that might not be."

"He just pushed me, it was no big deal."

"It is a big deal, don't tell me it's not a big fucking deal."

"Don't get pissed at me," she snapped.

"Sorry," he mumbled, contrite.

Stephanie went back to straddling his lap, rubbing herself against the top of his pants. Chris tired to restrain himself, but Stephanie was just too wonderful to resist and he pushed himself into her, feeling himself get aroused. It was hard not to since he was used to doing Stephanie every night and he hadn't had the pleasure of her body since this whole little thing with Hunter. Shit, the thing with Hunter.

"Steph, what are we going to do if you're here with me and not with him?"

"Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out."

"Are you--"

"Chris, shut up and fuck me."


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Okay, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Jodi (StephanieIrvine, go read her stuff after you read this!), because she rocks. The reason why is because she listens to all my stupid ideas and my ramblings about all my stories and reassures me that nothing I have is crap, and for that she is awesome. So thank her for getting this story back on track. Thanks Jodi. :)

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"Yeah Vince, it's totally fine if you were to take more time off. In fact, I encourage it, it'll help you get your strength and resolve back and you'll be ready and raring to go when you come back."

"Thank you for taking over my duties Chris, I know that I can trust you. You've come up with some of the best booking I've seen in a while, and I'm very happy with the direction you're taking the show."

Chris smirked to himself as he leaned back in Vince's own Italian leather chair. "I'm glad you feel that way Vince. I'm happy to work in your absence."

"Thank you again."

"Again, not a problem, glad to be of service."

Chris hung up the phone then and surveyed Vince's lavish office in front of him. He could feel Stephanie's presence as she walked behind him. He leaned back a little bit to observe her. Her face was a little guarded, but that was nothing new. Stephanie's face has always been a little bit guarded, you couldn't be tough and not hold your cards to your chest.

She gingerly fingered a picture of her former self, the girl she once was and never could be again. She was seven in the picture, sitting atop a small, pink bicycle, a smile on her face. Better days, hardly, she was a naïve waif of a girl, not strong, weak. She picked up the picture and studied it for a moment before dropping it on the ground and watching the picture crack beneath her.

"Oh, do you think Daddy Dearest will throw a hissy fit over that," Stephanie said with a giggle.

"Now, now Stephanie, have a little sympathy, the man has lost his daughter and his wife in the span of just a year or so. And who knows when he's going to lose his son," Chris said maliciously.

Stephanie picked up the photo and put it back into its place, cracked glass and all. "They're all so stupid. Easily manipulated and used. They don't know that their downfall is coming. But then everything will be ours. And we will rule with an iron fist around here, and nobody will even be the wiser about it."

"No, they won't," Chris said. "I could get used to this."

"As if we're not filthy rich as it is," she guffawed as she ran her hands across the back of the chair Chris was in, leaning her arms on it. "Chris, I don't like the plan that we have for Shane. I don't think it's going to work and I don't think it's going to pay off in the way that we think it will pay off."

"Is that so?" he asked of her. "You don't think it's going to work? You spend all this time working and planning, as do I, and you just out of the blue decide that it's not going to work."

"Don't you dare get mad at me," Stephanie warned. "Think about it Chris, making him think that I'm haunting his soul, his stupid, wretched soul. Child's play my love, simple and utter child's play. And then what, he convinces himself that he's insane and he gets put into an institution. Do you know what they do in institutions, they make you better," she said with a scoff. "And then they'll release him, and I don't want to repeat this cycle. We're above this Chris."

Chris thought for a moment, she did have a point. She turned his chair around, making her jump out of the way and he faced her. He licked his lips slowly as he stared straight ahead at the front of her pants and the apex of her thighs. He grabbed her by the hips quite unexpectedly and pulled him down into her lap. He kissed her then, teasingly, something she had become so accustomed to.

"If you want to change the plan, it's changed, we do whatever you want to do to get that fucking bastard back for what he did."

"So you're just going to be my bitch all of this then?" she asked.

"If you want me to be your bitch…Stephanie, I want you to get the revenge you deserve. This asshole beat you, and for that he has to pay. Nobody beats up my wife and gets away with it. We'll still hit Shane where it hurts I hope."

She languidly rocked her hips into him and smiled, "Why, I do believe this means that you care about me."

"Don't fuck around Stephanie, you know that I fucking care about you," Chris said. "Why do you insist on doing shit to make me prove this very fact?"

"Because it's fun to toy with you," Stephanie said, running her perfectly manicured finger down his cheek. She leaned forward to lick at his jaw. "Chris, would you kill for me?"

"No, I wouldn't, so don't even get any of those fucking ideas in your head," he told her. "I'm not going to become some guy's prison bitch because I got my wife to tell me to kill some guy."

"I was just asking," she pouted. "I'm bored Chris, I have nothing to do, no title, nothing. I just sit around here and it's pathetic. _I'm _pathetic."

"Do you forget who you're talking to sometimes?" he asked. "Do you honestly think I'm going to fall for your act? Please don't insult my intelligence like that Stephanie, I'm not some sympathetic fool who will bend like a flower in the wind."

"How poetic of you," she said, pushing herself off of Chris's lap. "There has to be something around here that I can do. Someone I can manipulate…some guy I can convince to fuck me in the elevator, you know, at least let me go down on him."

"I'm not that guy if that's what you're suggesting, I've got work to do, something you have become unfamiliar with in the recent past."

"It's so hard being dead Chrissy," Stephanie told him. She looked around, then sighed dramatically. "I'm getting out of here, don't follow me, I'll be by whenever I feel like coming back."

"Whatever," Chris muttered as she blew him a kiss and walked out of the room. She ran a hand through her short hair and readjusted the glasses on her face. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself, which was easier said than done since she was a gorgeous woman. But right now she had a mission that she hadn't told Chris she was going on. She went down a couple stories in the elevator and went to Shane's office. His secretary was sitting there diligently and Stephanie turned on her fake Southern charm.

"Excuse me," Stephanie said, going up to the woman.

"Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, are you new here?"

"I did start about a month ago," she answered. That worked perfectly for Stephanie as this woman would have no clue as to who she might be. "But is there something that I can help you with?"

"No, actually, I was just coming down to inform you that since Mr. McMahon is on vacation, you can have an hour lunch instead of a half hour lunch, courtesy of the acting man-in-charge, my dear, darling husband, Mr. Jericho," she drawled pleasantly.

"Yeah, really?"

"Yeah, so you're free to go at any time now," Stephanie said sweetly. The girl was so excited she snatched up her purse and was out of there in a flash.

Stephanie rolled her eyes and grabbed her set of keys out of her pocket. She found the one that opened Shane's office and walked inside. She had always had a spare set of keys when she wanted to have them. She looked around, wondering where to start her little search and found only one place to look…his desk.

She sat herself down and started going drawer by drawer, trying to snuff anything of interest out. She rooted through different papers, but found nothing of import. She was getting discouraged before she reached his bottom left drawer, which was locked. She smiled to herself, knowing that if she were to find anything of Shane's, she was going to find it in this drawer. She just had to get a way into the drawer.

She sat back a little bit, trying to think like her brother would. She knew that the key to this drawer had to be in this room, Shane was never smart enough to carry it with him because he was forgetful and had lost his things so many times. So he would try to keep it in here and in a place he would remember. She smacked her forehead and stood up, going over to the couch situated against one wall. He turned to the table next to it and tipped over the lamp, finding the key taped to the bottom.

"Good old predictable Shane," Stephanie said to herself. Shane used to keep the key to his safe in his room under his lamp. She would see him putting it there all the time. She grabbed the key and scurried back to the drawer. She unlocked it and pulled it open.

The first thing she pulled out was a Playboy magazine, "Eww," she said, throwing it on the desk. "Figures he can't get a real woman." She pulled other things out of there, setting them on the desk in the order she took them out. That way it'd be easier to put them back in. "And what's this," she said as she pulled out a folder.

She opened it up and saw various bank statements. This could definitely come in handy, definitely. She took the file and put everything else back, knowing that she would want to make copies of these before she returned them. She slipped the key into her pocket and snuck back out of his office, locking it behind her. She almost skipped back to Chris's office as she parsed out the new plan in her mind. She didn't skip though because she wasn't a fucking child.

She walked purposefully though back into her father's office where Chris was sitting, looking over something. She threw down the folder in front of him. He looked up at her curiously before looking down at the file. He could tell that she was up to something. Well, that was obvious since she had just dumped something on his desk.

"What's this?"

"What we're going to use to bring my brother down," she told him. He picked it up and looked at it, smirking to himself.

"Where did you get this?"

"His office," she explained. "He's a predictable jackass, that's for sure. We're going to bring him down Chris, and we're going to make sure it sticks, this is just what we need to get at him. This is everything we need to get at him. All that information, if we use that to our advantage, then we can take him down from the inside and blindside him."

"He could do honest jail time for what you're thinking," Chris told her. The thought pleased her to no end. Her brother deserved to be locked up. She had never told anyone but Chris about the beat-down she had received at the hands of her brother, and she was never going to tell, but at some point, he should've paid. But he had never paid for it. She had laid there, broken and beaten, and he had never paid for that. But the time was coming for him to pay up.

"Maybe it'll really teach him what it's like to be on the other end of a beating," Stephanie replied with an edge to her voice. "It's the least he deserves I think."

"I agree, I think that we should use this," Chris said, flipping through it. "Bank statements, checkbooks, everything on accounts. I wonder if your dad knows about this stuff or if this is all done on the hush-hush."

"If it's done on the hush-hush, our job just got a whole lot easier," she said, rubbing her hands together. "If he's embezzling from the company, then we've got him Chris."

"And if he isn't?" Chris inquired.

"Then maybe he's going to start."


	18. Chapter 18

"So how do we get in?"

Stephanie licked her lips a little, tasting the peach of her lip gloss as she sat in her hotel room with Chris, her feet languishing in his lap. She sucked at her teeth a little as she thought about that loaded question Chris had asked her. She had to find a way to get into that safety deposit box. Even if it was a bunch of shit inside of it, she could use it to bring him down. Stephanie was just resourceful like that. She tapped her chin a little and saw Chris staring at her.

"Don't stare at me," she snapped at him.

"Oh I'm sorry, Stephanie, I didn't realize that you were like the sun, I can't stare at you, forgive me."

"Shut up," Stephanie said as Chris shoved her feet off of his lap. She looked up at him, glaring, "What the hell was that for?"

"Well excuse me for not wanting you to touch me right now. Maybe I just don't want to get the dirty germs from the dirty, slutty whore that I'm married to," Chris said, walking into the bedroom. Stephanie glared at his back until it disappeared from sight. She knew that Chris was getting irritated by this entire plan. He wanted to go back to Hawaii and their lives, but she knew that he was doing this for her.

In a way, that irritated her. When they had first gotten married, it had been a partnership. He had taken some, and given some, and she had done the same thing. Now he made her feel like she was taking everything and giving nothing. She hated feeling that way because there was no way in hell she was going to apologize. She hated admitting she was wrong because it made her feel weak, like she _needed_ Chris, and she didn't need anybody.

She was a bird of her own feather, and though Chris was a big help to her, she didn't need him to succeed. She hadn't needed him to fake her own death, and she didn't need him now. This was starting to make her angry and she could feel the fire building in her stomach. It was going to reach a pitch point, and she was not going to be held responsible for her actions. She didn't have to have Chris around. She committed this thought to her mind as she stood up and went into the bedroom, steeling herself for the fight.

"Look, if you don't want to be in on this plan, don't be in on this plan, it's that simple," she told him in no shortage of words.

"Who said I didn't want in on this plan?" Chris inquired as he lounged in a chair at the table inside the room, flipping idly through the television stations. "I didn't say that, did you hear me say that?"

She went to stand in front of him, blocking his view of the television and glared at him. "Look, if you don't want to be around me, if you think that I'm a slutty whore like you just said, then get the hell out of here. Nobody is tying your fucking hands down, just leave me if you want to leave me."

"And then what, Stephanie, then what happens? Huh? You just turn into your old self or something? You _need _me way more than I need you," he sneered.

She laughed at that, a hearty belly laugh, "Are you kidding me with this?"

"Stephanie, I'm not in the mood to fight with you okay," he said, rubbing his temples. "I know what you're doing. You think that you're so great and so invincible that you don't need anyone." He looked up at her and for a brief moment saw that she was a little surprised by his assessment, but she quickly covered that with a mask of indifference. "Oh what, you don't think that I don't know you by now. What do you take me for, some idiot who doesn't know how to read a woman? Do you have any idea how many women I had before you? Trust me, I know how to read a woman."

"Yeah, a woman who's willing to spread her filthy legs for you," she said.

"So are you counting yourself among those filthy-legged women? I mean, from where I'm sitting, that's just what you are."

Stephanie raised her high-heeled leg to kick Chris right in the chest since she was too far away from him to hit him for his crass remark, even though she had been asking for it. Chris, however, was too quick for her and grabbed her ankle just as she was about to reach his chest. She stared at him agape for a moment. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her with that look in his eyes that she knew he thought he had the upper-hand.

"What do you think you're doing, Stephanie?" Chris asked as he stared her right in the eyes, which unnerved her a little bit, but not so much that she lost that air of arrogance that she wore all the time.

"Let go of me," she said, trying to pull her foot away. Chris wasn't budging though and because of this she began to lose her balance. She fell forward right into Chris's arms, her right leg hooking over his shoulder, causing her to land awkwardly in his lap, almost contorted. Chris didn't seem to mind though.

She, on the other hand, was embarrassed that she had lost her balance and had fallen into his lap. This was certainly no way to get the upper-hand on him. She tried to pull away, but at the last moment he wrapped his arm around her upper thigh, letting his hands rest on her ass, which was easy to access since her skirt had bunched up from the awkward position she found herself in. He caressed her taut skin and then, while looking up into her blue-gray eyes, he kissed the inside of her knee, slowly moving up her leg, kissing her inner thigh, his eyes still somehow locked on hers.

Her breath was getting a little stunted as he got closer and closer to her panty-line. And Chris knew exactly what he was doing to her. He knew that he was silently getting her to submit, driving her crazy until she gave in to the passion that always seemed to surround the both of them in moments where they were fighting tooth and nail for the upper-hand in their tug-of-war relationship. She tried to resist the lust that was creeping into her body, this maddening lust that meant that Chris knew more about her than anyone else. She hated that, and that's where half the anger she had for Chris came from. He _knew_ her and it was so frustrating to know there was someone out there who could predict what you would do before you even thought to do them.

"Stop," she breathed out, but she had no willpower with which to actually stop him. She couldn't stop him, not now, not ever. It had been so much easier before they had slept together, before she knew how soft his lips were, how wet his tongue was, and how good his rough hands felt on her soft skin. Yes, it had been so much easier then, to resist what Chris put on the table. After they had fucked, everything had changed, he knew her now, knew her too well.

"Do you really want me to stop?" he asked as he rested his cheek against her thigh, his breath blowing against the sensitive skin. He could feel the way her hand was gripping his hair, and he wondered if she even knew she was doing that. He kind of figured that she didn't.

She paused, not wanting to give in, not wanting him to know that she was failing, falling for him, over and over again, and he was going to use that to his advantage, she knew it, "No…"

"I thought so," he said with a sly smile, like he knew that was going to be her answer all along. That infuriated her even more, and she was seriously going to push him away when he kissed her even closer to where she wanted to be touched and she breathed out, a ragged, dry breath, like she was gasping for air.

She was about to protest, say something, anything, when Chris surprised her again and shifted her leg so it was on one side of him and pulled her down so she was straddling his lap. She gasped as she felt him through the slacks he was wearing. God, she wanted him right here and right now and in the back of her mind, she knew that he had won this round, but as long as she could feel him inside of her, she didn't much care who was winning at this point. She cared so little that she leaned forward and pressed her lips hotly into Chris's crushing them together as she drew her breath from him, seeking out his tongue with her own, settling for wrestling for dominance this way.

Chris had her right where he wanted her. He knew that she wouldn't be able to say no to this. She had been angry when she had come in here, but now he had her eating out of the palm of his hand, and it felt great. He laughed inwardly at how easy she was to turn around. He grabbed her hair in his hand, tangling his fingers into her short, red hair, making their kiss deeper, almost impossibly deep. He slickly moved his hand down and groped at her breasts, making her moan against his mouth, and then he heard her gasp. He was going to congratulate himself on a job well done so far, but she pulled away and looked at him with wide eyes.

"What?" he wondered, his breath coming out in short gasps as he tried to regain his senses, his eyes blurred.

"I just thought of something."

"If it's a new way to get my pants off, I'm all for it," he teased, nipping at her bottom lip. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. He frowned at her, wondering why she wasn't being receptive any longer.

"No, stop."

"Come on, Steph," Chris said, arching his hips a little into her so she could feel how much he wanted her. Then he thought that maybe this was her trying to gain the upper-hand, and he wasn't going to have that so he put his hands underneath her ass and lifted her up, and held her briefly before dumping her on the bed. Before she had time to react he had ripped the front of her shirt open, revealing her satin bra, and he was currently pulling her skirt right off.

"Chris!" Stephanie said, grabbing at his hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"I'm not going to let you think you can one-up me," he growled as he lavished her stomach with kisses, causing her muscles to tense.

"God, you're an idiot," she told him, grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head up from her stomach. "I just remembered something that's important."

"What's more important than satisfying your husband?" Chris asked.

"Satisfying myself, jackass," Stephanie said, tightening her grip on Chris's hair as she continued to stare him down.

"Oww," he said, willing coming up so he was hovering over her. She reached down to start undoing his pants when he smiled and looked down at her, gleam in his eye. "Now this is more like it."

"Now that I've got your attention," she said silkily. "I will tell you what I just remembered, which is that I'm on the contract to Shane's safety deposit box. He got it way back when he was still married to Marissa. I remember that I was put on it, and so was Marissa, just in case. So if I go there and give my ID, there's no way they can't let me look into it."

"That simple?" he asked.

"Yes, that simple," she told him. "I'm on it, I don't need Shane's permission to see it. Since I co-signed on the safety deposit box, it gives me unrestricted access to it. Oh God, the one time my brother has come through for me, I'm glad it's now."

"And when we find out just what is in that safety deposit box."

"We'll think of that _after_ you fuck my brains out, just leave it so I can walk later," Stephanie winked at him as she slid her hands into his boxers.

The clicking of her high heels in the eerily quiet back of the bank was enough to cause her to look over her shoulder. She adjusted her brown wig a little as she followed the teller into the back where the safety deposit boxes were kept. She had gotten the access pretty easily, apparently Shane hadn't cared enough to tell them his sister was dead, but it didn't' matter to her since she had gotten what she wanted out of this. She also had to admit it was good being herself again, Stephanie McMahon instead of Mary Stephens, her alter ego.

"Here we go, Miss McMahon," the kind woman said. "We have security right outside the door, so everything is safe." She pulled a box from the wall and set it on the table. Stephanie pulled out her key (she had left the dummy key in Shane's office, just in case) and the teller opened her lock while Stephanie opened her own, letting the contents of the box be shown.

There were papers inside of it and she smiled as she pulled them out. The top ones were silly, his will, legal stuff. It wasn't until she got to the bottom of the box that she saw something worth noting. It was a bank book, but it certainly wasn't for this bank. No, this looked like an off-shore thing. She picked it up and looked through it, her eyes widening slightly, but she tried not to look alarmed. Looking triumphant, on the other hand, that she could do.

"Do you have a copy machine?"

"Oh, sure," the woman said and Stephanie gave her a smile before being led over to it. She took some choice photocopies and then put the things back before having the woman close the box.

"You've been such a great help, thank you so much," Stephanie told her.

"Oh, you're welcome, it was no trouble."

"Yes, but you really did help me, and just…yes, thanks," Stephanie said, practically giggling like a little girl at the prospect of what she had found.

She was walking out of the bank when she spotted Hunter coming up the walk to the front door. She cursed as she stood there, frozen. She couldn't let Hunter see her. That wouldn't be good, that wouldn't do at all. She saw a sign that led to the bathroom, and she immediately headed for it, opening the door quickly and scurrying inside. She held it open a crack and waited to see him pass into her line of view. She held her breath until he did, and she was counting the seconds, counting them because she was scared that he would show up right in front of her and find out the truth, but there was no way he could've seen her.

But then he passed in her line of sight, and she let out a relieved and shaky breath. She stood up straight and gathered herself. She had to walk straight towards the exit, no looking around, no nothing, straight for the exit. She took a deep breath, steeling herself and looking towards the ground. She made sure she knew where Hunter was and make a beeline for the exit, walking straight towards it and not deviating for a moment.

Hunter was in line to meet with a teller and he folded his arms as he waited, tapping his foot a little. Something caught in the corner of his eye and as he turned around to see what had caught his eye, he saw a familiar flash of brown. He gasped a little, breaking his place in line and rushing towards the exit, throwing the door open and stepping into the sunny afternoon.

"Stephanie!" he called out, hoping that what he had seen hadn't just been in his own mind. "Steph!"

Stephanie was around the corner and in her car before he could even get near her. She drove off, her breath still shaky as she drove away. That had been close, too close. She hadn't anticipated that at all. But as she drove away, her shaky breaths turned strong, her eyes turned devious and her smile turned glowing as she glanced at what was sitting on the passenger seat of her car.

She had Shane right where she wanted him.


	19. Chapter 19

Hunter sat down heavily in one of the armchairs in his living room. He had been reeling since he had seen what appeared to be Stephanie in the bank earlier that afternoon. His mind couldn't wrap itself around the thought that he had seen her, but he was so sure that it had been her. It had just _felt _like Stephanie, if that made sense, there was just something to her presence that was so uniquely Stephanie. But it couldn't have been Stephanie, she was dead, he had seen her die with his own eyes.

He had to be going crazy. That had to be it. He was just projecting Stephanie onto ever brunette who remotely looked like her. He wanted her back here so badly that he was making her a constant apparition. When he went to the grocery store, there she'd be, or when he went to the gas station, she'd be there, and now, he guessed, when he went to the bank, she'd be there. They were supposed to be doing these mundane married tasks, but she wasn't around to do them.

He had seen her die.

Stephanie was still taking deep breaths as she got out of her rental car, her Stephanie disguise taken off as she gathered the papers she had copied at the bank and rushed up to her room. She unlocked the door and went inside, flitting up the stairs to the second level of their swanky suite. Chris was sitting at the table, looking over documents for his job, which Stephanie had almost forgotten about in the fuss she was going to in regards to her revenge over her brother and Hunter.

"Hey, why do you look so pale?" Chris asked as he looked up at her. "Did something go wrong?"

"Not really," she said, though she was still a little spooked. "But then…kind of."

"Come tell Chris all your problems," he told her, pushing his chair back and patting his lap. Stephanie laughed a little, and it was such a refreshing sound to Chris's ears. Stephanie so rarely laughed genuinely and without malice. But he liked the sound, no, he loved the sound because it reminded him that deep down, behind their flaws, they were still people, and they still felt and did things that normal people did.

She did sit down in his lap, shifting herself around to get comfortable as Chris tried to stop himself from getting hard from all the gesticulating she was doing. He finally grabbed her hips and stopped her, steadying her on his lap. She smiled at him and he impulsively leaned forward and kissed her. She made the kiss deeper than it had any right to be and she felt him grab a handful of her hair and press her mouth closer to his.

"So come on, tell me what's bugging you," Chris told her.

"I saw Hunter…at the bank," Stephanie said as she pulled away.

"Did he see you?" Chris asked, obviously wanting to know if their cover had been blown.

She shook her head. "I mean, he saw me, but only for the briefest of moments. I don't think he could really tell that it was me, at least let's hope not. Although…if he does think that it was me, or at least some incarnation of me, then he could convince himself of some pretty good things."

"Good things? Like what? The things that are encased in your shirt right now, because I know that if you died, those would be the first things I'd remember," he told her, kissing her cleavage almost reverently.

She rolled her eyes. "No, like he's crazy for seeing a dead woman, things like that. Keep up, Chris, we want him to think that he's going crazy, and if he thinks he sees me at the bank of all places, then he's definitely going to think that he's going crazy."

"You think it's that simple."

"No, but if he starts seeing me in places where I'm definitely not supposed to be, then he's just going to start believing that he's seeing things, and then he'll be straight to the mental ward when we completely exact our revenge on his sorry ass."

Chris laced his fingers through her silky, short hair. "I do love the way that you think, I just don't think it's going to be so easy. You have to make sure he's always alone and with nobody around that would recognize you."

"Oh please," she scoffed. "The man is like a hermit now, he holes himself up in his house pretending like he has the perfect life and I didn't die right before his eyes over a year ago. He's clinging to something that's not going to come true, I'm surprised that nobody has questioned his sanity up until this point."

"Maybe because they're sympathetic to his grieving," Chris responded, pretending to pout. "I mean, poor, little Hunter, he can't even live without his precious Stephy-wephy."

"Just goes to show you how great I am. Men pine for me when they think I'm dead, it's flattering, in a creepy, stalker-ish kind of way." Stephanie ran her finger down Chris's chest before leaning in to suck on his neck a little, flicking her tongue over his Adam's apple as she breathed in his scent. "Would you pine for me if I were to die right now?"

"Well, I'm not sure that I like thinking of that point."

"I'm not saying that I'm going to be dropping dead in the next ten seconds, Chris, it's a hypothetical question, but I guess I got my answer since you didn't say anything, I guess you just want to defer it," she told him, starting to get off his lap, but he pulled her back down and firmly banded his arms around her waist.

"I didn't say that, don't go putting words in my mouth," he told her.

"I'm not," she protested. "I'm simply asking if you would be sad, but I guess you wouldn't, you'd probably try and find the cheapest girl you could find and fuck her, right? Or would you get a couple girls who are willing to spread their filthy legs for you?"

"Oh yeah, because if you die, that's the first thing that I would think of," he told her sarcastically. "When I got married to you, I wasn't going to half-ass this shit. When I married you, I _married_ you. I didn't do this for halfsies."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying what you want to hear, that I would be devastated if you were to die. I would be practically inconsolable, and all the action or hot ass that I could get in the world wouldn't be able to console me because I happen to love your bitchy ass."

"Yeah?" she asked coyly, dipping back down to suck on his neck, laving it with her tongue. The air hitting where his neck felt cold and he shivered as his arousal started to sharpen.

"What do you want me to say, Stephanie, that's the truth…and if I were to die."

"Oh, I'd blow the first guy I saw," Stephanie shrugged, but she had a smile on her face and he couldn't help but smile back. She wasn't good at the words, but the implications were there, and that was all he needed. She never needed to say the words because he got Stephanie, and he was the only one who had ever gotten Stephanie.

"Hey, hey, hey, before we get lost in this…whatever this is becoming, you went to go see a safety deposit box, or at least that was the impression that I was under, but if you didn't get dirt on your brother, I'm cutting your sorry ass loose."

"You wouldn't cut this ass loose, not when you love it so much," she whispered huskily. "Come on, Chris, fuck me first, discussions later, I'm already salivating at the thought of being with you…if you know what I mean."

He definitely knew what she meant. Stephanie grabbed his hand and started to inch it up her skirt, coming closer and closer to her panties, which he would find to be rather engaging and let him know just how much she wanted him. But he resisted because he knew that Stephanie was just in her mood. Whenever a scheme was a foot she became a horny nymphomaniac and he could barely stop her from ripping his clothes off and fucking him through the floor. But not today, not when so much hinged on what she had found. He stopped his ascent up her thigh and made her look at him.

"What did you find?"

"You can't honestly expect me to talk right now, do you?" she whimpered. "I'm so hot for you, Chris."

"You're hot for me because you have something on your brother, and you love that you have something to get him with, and that's why you're so eager to fuck."

"Feel how eager I am to fuck," Stephanie said, trying to get his hand closer to the heat between her legs, but he stopped himself again, and she whined, a keening, pitchy sound as she pouted at him. She was pretty damn irresistible, he knew this from experience. She was also a really good lay, so keeping his hands off of her was a test for him.

"I want to know what you found, it must be big since you're so eager and willing."

"Fine, if you want to discuss business, we'll discuss business, but don't be surprised if I find someone to take care of the business that I really need taken care of," she told him, climbing off his lap to get the papers she had set down. "So when I got there, I didn't really expect much of anything I guess. I don't know, I figured that Shane was smart, but not overly smart, but it turns out my dearest brother is a bit of an idiot. He just doesn't know how to one-up me, not that he knows we're in a competition, but if he were smart, he would definitely know that I was still alive," she rambled.

"Get to the point and stop self-congratulating yourself," he told her impatiently, about to grab the papers from her hand and read them himself. "I don't need the entire back-story to this little tale, and while you're at it, tell me how you got out without Hunter seeing you."

"Well, that part of the story is easy, I hid out in the bathroom and then when he was in line, I got the hell out of there," she said proudly. "And he was none the wiser…hopefully."

"I love the visual of you hiding in a bathroom, it gives me chills," Chris said. Stephanie punched him for his efforts and he frowned at her as he rubbed his arm.

"Anyways, I got to the safety deposit box, and I found checkbook balances, except these aren't for any accounts that I know, but they're for foreign banks, specifically ones in Europe and offshore," she said, showing him the paperwork finally.

"Okay, so your brother has investments or other checking accounts, so what?" Chris asked, not gleaning onto what she was trying to say.

"Yes, you may think that, oh, he wants to keep his money in different accounts with the interest and not wanting to have frozen accounts and what not, and that's fine, you wouldn't understand because you're not a businessperson, _but_ he also included some bookkeeping that he's been doing."

"Bookkeeping?"

"Yes, bookkeeping, apparently, my brother has fudged some of the numbers, and I use the term 'fudged' very loosely because he's embezzling money from his father's own company. He has a record of the actual bookkeeping in there, and I took a couple of pages from it, and I bet that if I were to look at the books that accounting keeps at Titan, the numbers would be different."

"Well, we've got to go see this right now," Chris told her excitedly. "If he's embezzling money, then he's done pretty much everything that we need him to do, it'll be nothing to get him sent away. And he would absolutely lose your dad's trust, we're as good as in, baby!"

"Yeah, you'd think that, right?" she asked. "I don't want to go check the books right now."

"What? Why not? If we go look, then we can see for ourselves if the numbers are different, and then compare those to the numbers in the original that he has. This is how we stop him."

"Yeah, but I'm not so sure that my brother could get away with doing the bookkeeping himself, it would seem too suspicious, like, he's not in the accounting department, but he gets to peruse and even change the books."

"You think he has someone on the inside, you think someone is helping him," Chris said, now becoming intrigued to just what Shane was doing. He had to have someone on the inside because it might seem too obvious for him to be doing all the books when that wasn't even his area of expertise.

"I think that exactly," she told him. "And I bet that they're getting a nice cut. If we can find this person, and we can get them to admit this, then we've pretty much got the company. I can't believe he would slip up like this."

"You're just a genius," he whispered huskily as he buried his nose into her hair. "You're the best at what you do."

"And just what is that?" she asked flirtily.

"A lot of things," he told her. "He's going down, Stephanie, this is enough to bring him down and bring him down hard."

"I know," she smiled. It felt so good to know that her brother was going down. After everything he had done to her, to know that he was the screw-up was an amazing feeling. He was the one who was a bad person, he was the one who lied and stole, not her. She hadn't done the wrong here, he was the one who was wrong. After years of thinking that she was at fault for everything bad, that she could never be a good person, for a moment, she felt redeemed, and she felt like a good person.

But that only lasted for one second.

"He can't hurt you again," Chris whispered, over and over into her hair, and it was like he knew what she was thinking.

"No, no, he can't."


	20. Chapter 20

Stephanie's eyes were starting to water from looking over books for such a long period of time. She swiped at her eyes, trying to get rid of the fatigue that settling over her. Chris was sitting next to her, and he had already fallen asleep, his head resting on his forearms. She wasn't normally someone that watched someone sleep (she thought it too saccharine and stupid), but she found herself staring at Chris for a few moments. Sometimes she wondered if he really could love her, this person that she had become over the years. She didn't dwell because love was for the weak, but she sometimes did question whether his love for her, the love he claimed, was real.

Then there were times like these, when he would do something so small for her that convinced her that she was lucky to find someone as unscrupulous as she was. This was one of those times. They had been poring over the books, everything dealing with the company and he had stayed up with her even when he didn't have to. He went above and beyond, looking for anything that would help them. He went balls out for every bit of revenge, and for what? Shane and Hunter had never done anything to him, well, Hunter had, but Shane, no, he had never done anything to Chris. In fact, in a different world, she figured that they would've been the best of friends. So there had to be some other motivation.

If she only knew the depths to which Chris had fallen. Chris never wanted to fall in love, not when there was so much pussy to get in the world. He wanted it all; he wanted the girls he slept with to get younger as he got older, he didn't want to settle, he didn't want anything but to be a perpetual bachelor. Then he met Stephanie and it all changed, and she changed him and while everyone said that it was for the worse, he knew it was for the better. She made him into something he never thought he'd be…a one-woman man.

Stephanie wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed, maybe curled up against Chris, but she needed to figure out whose books were not adding up. Unfortunately, the accounting department was rather large, and they had to pour over many books, and nothing had popped out at them so far. Chris had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago, and normally she would wake him up and yell at him for being lazy, but he had been doing this with her for almost six hours and he had been up for most of that.

Then something caught her eye and she blinked a few times wondering if it was just her fatigue seeing things or if she was actually seeing what she was seeing. It appeared to be right even after she had rubbed her eyes and she reached her left hand out to shake Chris's arm. He swatted her away at first, but she persisted and Chris finally opened his eyes slowly.

"What is it, Stephy?" he asked with such tenderness that it startled her, and she knew that it was only in the world between sleep and wakefulness that he would ever show her such emotion. She waved it off though, not wanting that right now, maybe when she was older that tone would set her afire, but right now revenge was all she sought.

"I've been going over payroll," she said, "and there's one accountant that's getting much larger bonuses than any of the other accountants, and you might not think that's unusual, but they're getting more than some of the executives. There's no way that they could accumulate this kind of bonus unless they literally saved the company from bankruptcy, and since we're nowhere close to bankruptcy, I don't think it's because of that."

"So what are you saying?"

"Can you find me the books for one…Alyssa Sullivan?"

Chris rooted through the books scattered around the table in front of them. He found one of hers and handed it over to Stephanie, "Did we look at this one yet?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so," she said as she flipped it open and began the search. Chris scooted his chair closer and leaned in towards Stephanie to read over her shoulder. Stephanie was the one with the business training, and had a minor in accounting, so she knew what she was looking for. He just saw a bunch of numbers, and letters that made no sense to him. He looked at her face, which was ridden with such steely determination and he admired that.

"Anything?"

"Hold on," she said, trailing her finger down a page before turning it to a new page and repeating the process, her eyes narrowed at something and she flipped to another part of the book and she grinned, "I got it…"

"What? What did you get?" he asked.

"Okay, look at this expense report, it's going to an account that doesn't exist within the company, I've never even heard of this. I think this might be going to my brother. For the amount of money going into this expense, there's nothing that should be that much that isn't equipment or something dealing with the show and that stuff is pretty clearly outlined."

"So there's money going somewhere that nobody knows about."

"It's hidden as an essential expense," she said, flipping through the book to get a look, "If I can cross-reference this with Shane's bank book for the secret account he has, there's no way that he won't get caught when we turn him in."

Chris ran his hand over her hair and she looked at him. She impulsively kissed him, making him fall back ever so slightly and almost toppling them over onto the floor. He kissed her back though, running his hand underneath her top and up and down her back, toying with the clasp on her bra. She held him tighter as they sat there, wrapped up into each other.

"I can't believe this," Stephanie said. "First though, we have to talk to this Alyssa person, I mean, we should definitely seek her out, see if we can get her to confess."

"You really think she's going to do that?" he asked.

"No…do you think my brother is fucking her?"

"Well, if her bonus is any indication, he's paying her a lot just to fuck her."

"Now who's the whore?" Stephanie said bitterly, thinking about her brother. "Paying off a girl he's probably fucking on the side anyways."

"Well, we both knew that Shane doesn't care about anyone but Shane," Chris told her. She nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I wish I had been there when he hurt you," Chris told her, and she shook her head. "No, Steph, let me tell you, okay?"

"Chris, it's over, it's done with."

"No, Steph, it isn't," he said, shaking his head. "I hate what he did to you. I hate that he hurt you and I want him so far out of your life that he's not even a memory."

She gave a small smile, then lost it, "Stop, that's enough of that, I think that we have to make a few phone calls, and we have to meet this woman, double check over everything so that we have enough evidence to present this. I just want him out of our lives, we can focus on everything else once he's gone from our lives."

"What's everything?" he asked.

"The rest of our lives," she told him definitively, kissing his cheek, and it was one of those little-known moments that existed between them. She hugged herself to him. "So what are we going to do next?"

"We're going to find Alyssa."

--

Chris walked through the offices, looking for the one and only Alyssa Sullivan. Not to his surprise, she was a pretty girl, low-cut tops, loose hair and all smiles. Chris turned on the charm as he leaned on the side of her cubicle. She turned and saw him, and confidently smiled at him, knowing that he was the interim boss right now.

"Hello Mr. Jericho," she said sweetly, and his stomach physically turned at the display. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"No, nothing," he told her. "I just wanted to come and see how everyone was doing. You caught my eye."

"Really?" she asked sweetly, crossing her legs trying to tantalize him. Yes, Shane had her pretty trained. While Stephanie would deal with the actual paperwork stuff, he would be in the field doing what he did best, getting this girl to talk.

"Yeah, really, what's a pretty girl like you doing as an accountant?" he asked, grabbing a spare chair and sitting down across from her.

"Well, my mother thought that it would be a good job for me, it would get me stability, you know, it's not bad work," she said. "Besides, I get to work for a great company."

And probably give the boss's son nice blowjobs, he thought to himself. "Yeah, it's the greatest company in the world, you like it here? Everything's been treating you well? The people are nice?"

"Everyone is super nice, everyone I've met anyways," she told him. "But it's nice to meet you."

"It's really nice to meet you too," he told her, openly leering at her, hoping that she would absolutely take the bait. If she was willing to sleep with Shane for a buck or two, then he couldn't see why she wouldn't want to sell herself a little bit more.

"I'm glad for that," she told him, scooting her chair a little bit closer. It was almost imperceptible, but he could see it and everything was falling right into place with her. He would never actually sleep with her, he was faithful to his wife, but it was nice to know that he still had it in spades.

"You know, I'm not actually doing anything tonight," he told her, his voice husky. "You look like you've been working hard all day, what do you say you let me take you out, consider it a kind of bonus." He smirked at the last word, knowing that she was pretty much caught. Stephanie was checking over Shane's account right now, and she probably had everything that she needed to send her brother up the river without a paddle.

"You want to go out with me?" she asked incredulously, straightening her back.

"Yeah, so you free?" he asked.

"Absolutely I am," she said with a smile.

"That's great," he winked. "I'll come down when I'm done with my work, so stick around, okay?"

"I will definitely stick around," she said, throwing her hair over her shoulder and looking at him flirtingly.

"Great, I'm really looking forward to that, and just to warn you, I'm absolutely going to take you somewhere nice," he told her, smirking at her as he walked back out of the area and to the elevators to go back upstairs.

When he got back up there, Stephanie was waiting for him in his office. She smiled and went immediately over to her, sitting down. She climbed into his lap and straddled him, kissing his lightly as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her down over him like a blanket. She licked at his lips a little, and he could taste the strawberry of her lip gloss. "So how did it go?" she asked.

"She took the bait, hook, line and sinker," he told her. "She's going to be going out with me tonight, a treat for all ladies of the world. She's going to get a nice dose of the Jericho charm, which no woman in the world has ever been able to resist. She's very lucky."

Stephanie kissed Chris again and he went for her bra, going under shirt, and she pulled away abruptly, "Uh uh, Chris, darling, you can't have me right now."

"What?" he said. "You expect me to go down and flirt with some random girl and then not get some from you? I'm in this whole plan because of you, because _you _thought it would be easier for Alyssa to give up the information if she thought that I'd be willing to fuck her. This was your idea, so you should get down on your knees right now and--"

"Shh, don't say such nasty things about me," she pouted, jutting out her bottom lip as she put two fingers over his lips. He sucked them into his mouth.

"I want you right now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't fuck your brains out?"

A chair swiveled around, catching Chris's eye.

"Because I don't want to hear about someone wanting to sleep with my daughter."


	21. Chapter 21

"Well, well, well…"

"Yes?" Stephanie asked coyly of her husband.

"Vince, I didn't realize you would be back so soon."

"Stephanie called me," Vince explained.

Chris looked at Stephanie critically and she shrugged as innocently as she could muster at the moment. "I called him when I knew that we had something on Shane, I figured that he would want to be in on anything that had to do with his darling son."

Chris nodded a little, "So, Vince, did Stephanie inform you of what we've found?"

"She has," Vince said, sending his baby girl a small smile. "She's told me that my son hasn't exactly been as trustworthy as I first thought."

"Except you didn't think he was trustworthy to begin with," Chris said, "That's why you sent us on this wild goose chase."

"No, the reason that I sent you on this…mission was to prove to me that you could run the company. With my darling daughter dead, I needed a reason to hand the company over to you instead of my son. I couldn't just pass him over without a good reason."

"And we succeeded, right, Daddy?" Stephanie said. "I think we accomplished what we set out to do."

"You have…if this pans out," he told them. "My understanding is that you're going out with this girl to see if you can extract the information from her."

"That is correct," Chris said. "I didn't think that Stephanie would tell you about that part of the plan, seeing as how you told me yourself that I should never cheat on your daughter, I believe those were your words."

"Well, I can't really consider this cheating, can I?" Vince said.

Stephanie kissed Chris's cheek, "And don't mind anything that he says, Daddy, it was just in the heat of the moment, he would never, ever use such crass language around me, would you, sweetheart?"

"Never," Chris told her, looking at her as sweetly as he could muster at the moment. "I would never compromise your virtuous nature."

"Cut the shit," Vince said. "I know that you two aren't exactly innocent, and I think what you're doing is unscrupulous, manipulative, and right up my alley."

Vince hadn't always seen the ugly side of Stephanie, oh no, he had really thought her the innocent little girl of her youth. He did see her as Daddy's little girl for a long time, so when he found out Stephanie's true nature, it had taken him a while to get used to, but he had gotten used to it just fine, and he realized, in more ways than one, she truly was her father's daughter. They thought alike; they were both cutthroat and willing to do whatever it took to get what they wanted.

He had first found out about the true nature of his daughter after Chris had told her just what Hunter had done to her. Her father would never want to stand for something like that being done to her. No, if Hunter had caused her such pain, then Hunter had to pay. Stephanie had included her father in her plans after that, and not a day went by that he didn't know what Stephanie and Chris were up to.

He had helped her with her little plan of revenge when she set up Torrie as the one who stole her ring, and the same with Brock getting arrested for assault. He hadn't attended Chris and Stephanie's wedding, nobody they knew had, but he had known about it. He had also been in on the biggest plan of all…Stephanie's own death. He had kept up appearances of course, they all had, but you saw the clues here and there that he knew, the way that he had asked Chris to be the one to get a dress for her, all the while having it as a plan to get some of Stephanie's things.

Linda hadn't known about any of it, and for that, some nights, when she was especially mournful over their daughter's demise, he felt the slightest twinge of sadness that he couldn't tell his wife that their daughter was alive and well. Vince had helped them secure their assets after Stephanie's death, working in her name since he was her family. He had welcomed Chris into the company, knowing that by letting him in, he was really letting Stephanie in.

For a long time, Vince had been suspicious of Shane. He knew that his son was shrewd, like he was, and that he would use nefarious means to get what he wanted. Both his kids were like him, but he'd be damned if Shane snatched his company away from right under his nose, or try to steal money from him. Vince had suspected something of Shane, but he had believed that it was something to do with stocks and bribery, never did he suspect that it was embezzlement.

Furthermore, Vince did not know the darker side to Shane. Stephanie had kept true to her word, and Chris was the only one that knew of Shane's treatment to her. She was a proud woman, and she didn't need her father to fight her battles for her, and she knew that if he even got the slightest whiff of the fact that Shane had beaten her up, Shane would be a dead man. He was already living precariously because Chris knew, and at every turn, she knew it was a possibility that Chris would blow up and kick Shane's ass, but her father, well, her father would kill him first and think about the consequences later.

"Well, Vince, we aim to please," Chris said, surreptitiously, rubbing Stephanie's inner thigh as she sat there. Yes, he had no shame whatsoever.

"So does this mean that we get the company, Daddy?" Stephanie asked. "You know how important it is to keep it in the family, so to speak."

"Well, nobody will know that you're actually running it," Vince said. "Though you could always make your triumphant return."

It was tempting, she knew. Just to be back and rub it in everyone's faces, but no, it wasn't meant to be. Chris had to gain everyone's trust, be the boss that was good for the company of there would be mutiny. To tie him in with someone faking their own death would be a death wish. She had to remain who she was, she was prepared for it, it had been a year after all, she knew that it was nothing compared to the power she would have. Her name for the ultimate power, it was a trade she was willing to make.

"As good as that would be, I'm perfectly fine being the puppet-master behind the scenes," she said to her father. "It's what you don't see that you should be most afraid of after all."

"Spoken like a true McMahon," Vince said, "So what are your plans for the evening, Chris?"

"Yes, Chris, what are your plans for the evening?" Stephanie's repetition of the question was far more inquisitive than Vince's, which had been borne of true curiosity. He knew without asking her that she was making sure that he wasn't planning on getting the information out of this girl by sticking his dick anywhere in her.

"My plans are to take this girl out for dinner, charm her pants off, not literally of course," he said, giving Stephanie a little squeeze on the ass, "and trying to extract the information out of her. It's amazing what my charm can do."

"Oh yes, you're so charming," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Got you, didn't I?"

"In my desperation," she flirted, toying with the collar of his shirt.

"Okay you two, get the hell out of my office, we'll speak tomorrow if you find anything," Vince said, not wanting to see his son-in-law pawing at his daughter.

Chris pushed Stephanie off of him, and she grabbed him by the hand to lead him out of the office. She slipped her sunglasses over her eyes as they went down the hallway, Stephanie leading him out by the hand the entire time. They took the elevator down a couple levels to where Chris's real office was, and when the door opened, they were greeted with a sight they'd rather not see.

"Shane," Chris said through gritted teeth, "I didn't know that you were back too."

"Well, my dad said that he needed me back as soon as possible," Shane shrugged, "The old man is losing it, that's why he needs me around as well."

"You think that your father is losing it?" Stephanie drawled, "Well isn't that a downright mean thing to say, where I'm from, you better respect your daddy."

"Well I'm not where you're from," Shane said with a sneer and she was so ready to slap him. If she hadn't been holding Chris's hand (where his grip had significantly tightened) she would've stepped forward and kicked him in the balls…hard. Just to make sure that he never spawned anything…human or otherwise.

"Well that's too bad."

"Sure, whatever," he said dismissingly, wondering why Chris would marry a ditz of epic proportions. She wasn't even that pretty, not to him at least (thank God). "But it's good that I'm back because you guys need me."

"Like a hole in the head," Stephanie muttered.

"What?" Shane asked.

"I didn't say nothing, honey, I'm just a simple country girl, we don't do much thinking, we're out in the cotton fields all day…without much time to get that thing called an education," Stephanie said in her best ditzy, yet sarcastic voice. She wanted to strangle her brother. "Do you fancy that you're going to take over here?"

"Do I fancy?" he scoffed, "Honey, you see all of this?" She nodded and he smirked, "Sooner, rather than later, it'll be all mine…don't worry about your husband though, I like him, I'll keep him around. And that's the truth, Chris, you and I, we think alike, they'll definitely be a place for you here."

Chris sucked at his teeth a little. Just a little while longer he had to act like this guy was his friend. Just a little while longer. He wanted to kick Shane's ass though, just one punch. Chris would never forgive Shane for what he had done to Stephanie. Shane could fucking save his life and he would still hold a vendetta for him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he visualized beating Shane into a pulp. He would leave him unrecognizable, yeah, nobody would even be able to tell who he was and Shane himself wouldn't even remember his own name.

"Good," Chris said. "But I think I'd have a place anyways…even if someone else were to be in charge."

"Like who? I'm Vince's only remaining child since the devil herself died," Shane chuckled.

Chris felt Stephanie about to step forward and he turned to her, "Mary, sweetie, why don't you go wait in my office."

"Sure thing, sugar lumps," Stephanie said with sickening sweetness. She brushed past Shane, hitting him hard in the shoulder as she passed, "Oops, excuse me, I'm such a little klutz."

Stephanie glared at him as he turned back to Chris, resisting the urge to push him down an elevator shaft and hear the sickening crunch at the end. Shane glanced back at her, but only saw her back before turning to Chris, "What the hell do you see in her?"

"I love her," he said wistfully.

"I do not know why when you can get as much pussy as you want to…tell me, _please_ tell me that you're hitting some ass on the side, I mean, you can have any pussy you want to, you can't just stick to one chick."

"I do because she's my wife," Chris said, not liking where this was going.

"And when was the lobotomy?" Shane chuckled. "Last year?"

"She's not stupid," Chris said, his jaw set and tight.

"Yeah, right, you're probably blinded by her tits or something," Shane responded. "Either that or she's a wildcat in bed or something, that has to be the only explanation."

"I wouldn't underestimate her intelligence," Chris said, getting a smug look on his face, one side of his mouth turning up slightly. "She's actually really, really smart."

"You think so?" Shane said, giving him an incredulous look, "Wait, this is a joke right, you're saying she gives good head, so she's smart, yeah, okay, I got you."

While Stephanie did give good head, that wasn't what this was about. "No, she's intelligent, I wouldn't doubt that if I were you, Shane."

"Why the hell not?" Chris gave him the biggest grin he could muster in that moment, his smile going from ear to ear as he gave Shane the once over. He shrugged though and pushed past the older McMahon child, throwing something over his shoulder.

"Just because."


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews for the stories, and if you're interested, I started a new story called, "Twilight on a Broken Star," so check that out and hope you enjoy and leave a review. :)

* * *

"You look good enough to eat."

"Eat what?" Chris asked with a smirk. Stephanie smirked back and licked her lips, running her hand lightly over the crotch of his pants. "You are so bad."

She rolled her eyes playfully as she pushed herself forward a little and gave him a small kiss, "Oh, I know exactly what I am. I don't need you to tell me what I am."

"I know I don't," he told her, running his fingers lightly through her hair. She closed her eyes at the sensation. It was moments like these that they both felt that they were letting their defenses down. Sometimes they just let down all those walls that they built up around themselves. The moments were usually simple, and they were usually short, but they were there, and they both liked those moments immensely.

Not enough to change though.

"Are you going to get all the information that you need?" she said, trying to psych him up for his date which he had to leave for soon. Alyssa was probably waiting for him downstairs and he had to make sure that he picked her up before she got too tired of waiting and left for home. Although Chris was cocky enough to think that she'd honestly wait all night if she had to, to get a shot at Chris Jericho.

"Excuse me," he said, gesturing down towards himself. "Have you seen what I look like? I think I could have this girl's panties around her ankles in five minutes. I wonder what it's like to fuck a girl on top of her very own calculator."

"You will never know that," she said, pressing hard against the front of his pants. "You will never get to know another girl as long as I see fit to keep you."

"Huh, as long as _you_ see fit to keep _me_?" He scoffed and pulled away from her a little bit. "Stephanie, let's get one thing straight right now, if anyone is going to be the one to get sick of someone, it's me. If I wanted to fuck this girl senseless tonight, I'd really like to see you try and stop me from doing that."

"I wouldn't let you go on the date to begin with if I for one second thought that you were going to ram it into her," she said to him. "I control you, Jericho, and don't you forget it. I've got you wrapped around my pinkie."

"Nobody controls me," he said firmly. "Nobody, Stephanie, do you hear me?"

"What is your problem?" she asked playfully.

"You're my problem, you always are," he growled as he went in and started nipping at her neck. She laughed and threw her head back to give him more access to her creamy neck. He never got enough of her. He just didn't think it was possible for him to ever get enough of her. She was everything that he ever needed all wrapped up into one person.

"Get out of here, Jericho and go seduce the pants off that bitch."

"I want you," he tried to say as he pulled her closer to him, almost grinding against her deliciously. She was about to give in and let him just take her on her desk, but she knew that she couldn't do that. No, he had more important things to do than fuck her brains out right now.

"No," she snapped, pulling away from him completely. "Let me look at you one more time and then you have to go down and meet her. What if Shane wants to take her out and he gets to her first? I'm not going to let that happen, Chris, do you hear me?"

"Geez, pushy, pushy," he said. "So fine, how do I look? I mean, I know I look fucking fantastic, but I'll let you stroke me a little bit."

"Subtle, Chris, very subtle," she said sarcastically as she eyed him. He was looking rather delectable at the moment though and she was very tempted to just let him fuck her all night long. They hadn't had an all-night session in a while and her body was almost aching for it, even though they had sex pretty much every night. He was insatiable really and she _loved_ it. He was wearing a black button-down shirt that was only half-way buttoned, showing off his muscular chest. Then he was wearing some black pants, and the black-on-black combo was working for him, making his eye color pop.

"I'm still trying to convince you to give me a quickie," Chris said, running his index finger down the front of her shirt and into her cleavage. She pulled his finger out of her breasts and shoved it back towards his chest. "Aren't you even going to give me a good luck fuck?"

She leaned out and licked his lips, nipping at the bottom one just a tiny bit. "Off you go now."

"Cock-tease," he said angrily as he left the room.

He went downstairs to where Alyssa was waiting. She inexplicably had changed in the interim between his first meeting with her and now. She must've kept an extra change of clothes for when Shane wanted a rendezvous with her. What she was wearing right now was certainly not something that was work-appropriate. She was wearing a red skirt with a slit up to her thong almost and a black halter top. If this was how Shane liked his women, well…he kind of liked his woman like this too, but he also loved when Stephanie left a little to the imagination, just enough to tease him.

"You look incredible," he whispered huskily and she swore she was blushing all the way down to her nether regions.

"Thanks," she told him, biting her lip and trying to appear innocent. Chris wanted to laugh at that because she was just a high-priced whore. She took money from Shane, and she gave him sex and more money in return. She should really be ashamed of herself.

"Shall we?" he said, extending his arm to her.

"Oh most definitely," she said eagerly. She was definitely attracted to the sheer animal magnetism that Chris had. He was definitely a sexy beast right then, and she caught all the envious glances of the remaining female employees as she walked out of the building with one of the hottest men the company had ever had. Then she remembered something and blanched a little. "Aren't you married?"

"Yes, but well, it's more a business arrangement than anything else, she was poor and I helped her out, it's nothing more," he said smoothly. "I'm free to…seek out better opportunities."

"Good," she said as he escorted her to his car and thought about just what was going to happen later.

She was gone after a few drinks. She was tipsy after the first one, the second one gave her a very nice buzz, but the third one was really getting her uninhibited. Chris was playing it up nicely, nursing his one drink but pretending like he was just as far gone as she was. But Chris was way more in control than that. He didn't even really drink that much when he thought about it. Drinking meant you lost control, and for people like Chris and Stephanie, not being in control was just about the worst thing that could happen.

"You are so pretty," Chris told her.

"You're fucking hot," she told him, getting in his face as she set her empty glass down, "come dance with me."

"I don't think so."

She grabbed his free hand, "You _have_ to dance with me."

"I have to?"

"Yeah," she said, already wiggling in her chair. "I'm a good dancer, you'll see, just let me get on the dance floor and I'll show you. I took ballet lessons you know."

He didn't think that she was going to be doing ballet lessons out there, but that was just a hunch. "That's nice."

"You dance, you know it, come on," she said, pulling him even more. He gave her a charming smile and put his glass down. If he got her all hot and bothered, he was sure that the information would come flowing from her mouth.

She got out there and started wiggling and getting down and dirty with him, grinding up against his body as he basically stood there. She kept yelling intermittently, raising her arms like she was victorious as something, probably looking like the biggest fool. The music was loud however, so she wasn't creating too much of a scene, but it was annoying Chris. He just kind of moved to the music. As Alyssa turned around to grind her ass against him, he felt two hands on his hips.

"This is how you move them," Stephanie whispered into his ear.

"I should've known," he said snidely. "You couldn't stay back at the hotel, you just couldn't could you?"

"Don't fucking get mad at me," Stephanie told him. "I just came to make sure you did your job."

"I'm doing my fucking job," he told her angrily. "I didn't ask you to come stalk me."

"I'm not stalking you, I'm observing," she said coolly. "I want to make sure that we can nail Shane to the wall with this one. Don't get all pissy with me now, Chrissy."

"Then don't follow me."

"You followed me," she said. "Or have you forgotten this little fact, huh?"

"Fuck you," he said, having no comeback for that. She smirked in victory before she was starting to get pulled away by some guy that had asked her to dance earlier and to which she had accepted to get closer to Chris. The guy started to pull her away, but Chris caught her other arm. "Lay off, man."

"Why the hell should I?" the guy asked.

"This is my wife, jackass," Chris snapped at him, to which the guy immediately laid off, backing away from them. Stephanie raised an eyebrow at him. Chris leaned in close to her, "Don't even say it, McMahon."

"You're so jealous of me," she said coyly. "How dense is this bitch that she hasn't noticed you aren't even looking at her?"

"She's drunk, now if you would let me get back to the business at hand."

"Just don't forget what you have," she told him, disappearing into the crowd again. He groaned and turned back to Alyssa who was still dancing by herself, really. Chris decided to actually get into this, and sighed as he grabbed her hips and started to dance with her. They danced for a little while longer before she started to slow down and go at his neck.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?" Chris said, suddenly disgusted with himself that he had let Stephanie get to him so much. He didn't even like other women blatantly trying to sleep with him. He could've already had this floozy naked in bed, and it didn't interest him in the slightest. He damned Stephanie for ruining him.

"I want you," she told him, licking his neck and sucking a bit on his Adam's apple.

"Why don't we go sit down?"

"Mmhmm," she said as he pulled her to a dark corner with plush seating. He sat down and she immediately began to straddle him, trying to get him to make out with her, but he pushed her away gently.

"Do you know Shane McMahon?" Chris asked.

"Oh yeah," Alyssa nodded. "He's hot."

"How would you know that?"

"I sleep with him lots and lots," she said. God, she was just as easy as Trish had been. Some girls just could not keep their liquor. Stephanie could hold hers well. Damn it all to heel, that bitch really had ruined him.

"Really?"

"Uh huh, he thinks I'm sexy, he likes to fuck me in his office over his desk. Do you want to fuck me?"

"Uh…sure," Chris said, knowing he had to keep this going. "So tell me, how did you come to…sleep with Shane?"

"Money," she giggled. "It's always about the money, right, isn't that what makes the world go round, money, money, money…"

"Yeah, so where did he want this money."

"He steals it," she said, then pressed her fingers to his lips, "but shh, you can't tell anyone. He only does it in small amounts sometimes, but then it builds up and he gave me a raise to keep it a secret, so shh, be quiet, Chris."

"Oh, I'll be quiet," he said. "So he embezzles it and you help him?"

"Uh huh, and then we fuck, fuck, fuck," she said in a sing-song voice as she flipped her hair back and forth. "Now you can fuck me too and you don't even have to give me a raise."

"How about I take you home?"

"No, I want to fuck you," she told him.

"No, I got everything I needed from you."

"Huh? I don't get it, what did I say?"

"Nothing, trust me, you said nothing about anything."

"Okay, and now you're taking me home."

"Yes, I think we've had enough fun for one evening."

"Okay," she said sadly as Chris helped her up and took her out of the club.

Little did she know that Stephanie had been recording her the whole time.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Happy Belated Birthday, Jodi, hope you like it:P

* * *

"It sounds perfect."

"Good, I want to go give it to your father," Chris said after he had dropped off Alyssa at her place. Stephanie had gotten a cab to follow Chris so now they were in the car together, listening to Alyssa's confession. "He'll be very interested to hear what his dear son has been doing behind his back."

"I love it," Stephanie said as she reached out and ran her hand up Chris's inner thigh to the crotch of his pants. "Almost makes me want to give you a little present on the ride home."

"I like presents," he told her, licking his lips. "If you want to give me one right now, I'm not going to be adverse to it."

"I didn't think you would be, but you know what I want to do right now?" she asked him, licking her lips and making them shiny in the scarce light coming from the streetlamp they were parked under. Chris was fully prepared to be pulled over for lewd conduct in public. He didn't care where he was, but he wanted Stephanie's mouth on various parts of his body _now_.

"Me?" he asked, his voice low and scratchy.

She leaned in so her lips were right next to his ear. She tugged on it for a moment before breathing her answer. "I want to call Hunter."

He pulled away, "You want to _what_?"

"Well, think about it. Say I call him from a pay phone and then leave. He'll never be able to trace who called him, and so it'd just be a call from his beloved from beyond the grave. I think that would sufficiently drive him crazy, don't you think?"

"That's _not_ what I had in mind," he said. "I thought that we could have a good time tonight."

"And we will," Stephanie said, shifting herself so she was straddling Chris. She reached down to move the seat back and hovered over him. "I'm just not big on doing it in the car where anyone can catch us. My father would never hand over the company to a man who got caught fucking in a car on a residential street."

"You're his daughter though."

"But nobody knows that. To them I'm some simpleton from some fucking imaginary town in some stupid, little state that nobody ever thinks about. I'm some mousy redhead who they barely give a thought to. _You_ are going to be the successor, I'm just going to be the one pulling all the strings from backstage. That's it, that's all, so you have to be the standard-bearer."

"So what, I have to be the goody-fucking-two-shoes in this relationship?" he spat out.

"You already were," she told him, twisting a lock of his hair around her fingers and pulling him closer with it, a dash of pain in his scalp as she was rough with him, but he loved it when she got a little rough. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that you mastermind anything."

"I masterminded my way into your fucking body, so don't sell me short, okay?"

"Whatever, anyways, I'm not going to fuck you in the car. I'm better than that. I'm_way_ better than that," she told him. "You just need to get used to it. I'm not stooping to the level of a common whore."

"You're just a high-priced whore, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Find me a phone booth, Jericho. I want to make a call."

"Whatever," he said, shoving her off of him as she went back to her side. She smirked at him as he started the car and drove to the nearest pay phone. "There, go make your fucking call."

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Chris," Stephanie said. "I told you I would take care of you, and I will, just be patient. You can wait fifteen goddamn minutes to fuck me, okay, you are not that desperate."

"Well don't be a fucking tease," he told her.

"I'm not a tease," she said, blowing him a kiss. She got out of the car and went over to the phone booth. She picked it up like it was lying in a sewer, but it might as well have been. She dropped some quarters into it and dialed Hunter's number with her perfectly manicured nail. It rang a couple of times and she watched Chris looking bored in the car.

"Hello?"

"Hunter?" she said in an innocent voice. "Hunter, is that you?"

"Who is this?" he demanded.

"Hunter, come help me, please, come help me," she pleaded with him, making sure her voice faded in and out like she was somewhere far away.

"Who _is_ this?" he demanded to know again and his voice was quivering.

"It's me, it's Stephanie," she told him. Then she hung up the phone. With a satisfied grin, she walked back to the car and got inside.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands," Chris told her as he started to drive.

"At least my hands haven't been all over some woman's ass all evening," Stephanie told him. "I told you to get into the part, I didn't tell you to feel her up like she was your own personal toy or something."

"I was playing the part, what more do you want from me? Me playing the prude all evening wouldn't have been me at all. Have you fucking seen me, Stephanie? Girls are falling all over the place for me. If I wanted to make Alyssa believe that she was going to get a piece of Jericho tonight, I was going to have to touch her."

"You did it because you knew I was right there."

"What purpose would that serve?" he asked her. "I could've left with Alyssa and left you high and dry, and then come back to her place and fucked her brains out and you wouldn't have known any better. It's about time I got some tail that wasn't yours."

"I would've just gone home with that guy who wanted to dance with me. I may have gotten my breast implants taken out, but I've still got it all, Chris," Stephanie told him. "I could fuck any guy I want. In fact, maybe we should just go our separate ways and fuck whom we want, it's obviously what you want."

"I want you," he told her. "You should fucking know that by now."

"Oh, do I?" she told him. "Do I really know?"

"Shut up," he told her. "You don't know anything. I've been completely fucking faithful to you, and you know it. Though Lord knows why. I thought when I married you it was a no strings attached situation. I never should've fallen in love with you."

"Chris," she pouted, "I'm hurt." She reached out to touch him, but he swatted her hands away.

"I told you not to touch me with those hands."

"Fine," she said, folding her arms. They drove back to the hotel in silence. They went up to their room and Stephanie went to wash her hands and take off her makeup. She got undressed and walked into the bedroom in only her panties. She climbed into the bed, feeling comfortable while wearing the least amount of clothes possible. Chris was already in bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"We can show my father the evidence in the morning."

"Of course we can," Chris said. "We'll definitely get the company now, as if there was any doubt, but now your brother won't even be a minor shareholder. We'll get total and complete majority control, and we'll run the company the way that we see fit."

"Oh yes," she said sultrily. "I can't wait, can you?"

"It's what we've been working towards, besides putting your brother away and freaking the hell out of Hunter," Chris chuckled. Stephanie had moved herself so she was running her hands up and down Chris's chest. Her hands were cold from washing them, and they felt so cool against his warm skin. "I can't wait to see your brother take the fall. I want to see his walk of shame. He fucking deserves it."

"Shh, shh," Stephanie said, pursing her lips together to form the word. "No thinking about that, okay?"

"I can't help it," he said. "I think of him, and I think of you on the ground and I think of him kicking you and it just…my blood boils, Stephanie. My blood absolutely boils. That man is never going to pay directly for what he did to you. He's never going to go to jail for assaulting you and that makes me crazy with anger."

"Chris, it's no use getting angry over that," she said and he wondered when exactly she had gotten on top of him. Her legs were on either side of him and her body was pressing against him. He looked up at her, but couldn't see her clearly at all. They didn't have anything on, no lights, nothing. There was just one strip of light coming in through a small space in the curtains. She was topless and a sight to behold.

"Why not?"

"Because it's over and done with," she told him. "Shane's over and done with. He can't hurt me anymore, he'll never hurt me again. I've got the upper-hand now, Chris, me. He's not going to be able to touch me. I'll be running the company and he'll be somewhere wishing that he had never messed with me."

Chris opened his mouth to speak, but Stephanie reached for his hands and placed them on her breasts, letting him know that the time for words was over and she wanted more than words. He couldn't resist her body. He couldn't even remember how he could've ever resisted her. She was his addiction now. He just let her pull him towards her.

"So there you have it, Dad, I think that's some pretty damning evidence," Stephanie said the next day as she pushed stop on the recorder. "Shane's been cavorting with this woman and she's been helping him with his scheme. Along with the bank books and all of the other evidence, I think it's pretty safe to say that he's stealing from the company, he's stealing from you, Daddy."

"I trusted him…I never should've."

"I know, but you can't help it," Stephanie told him. "He had us all fooled."

"He didn't have me fooled," Chris said bitterly.

"We didn't ask you," Stephanie said. "Besides, you're not even talking about the business right now, you're talking personally. So what do you say, Daddy? Do you think that you can finally change it so that we're named your successors."

"Well, Princess, it's still going to be hard for me to do that right now without getting suspicions up. But once we bust Shane for what he's done, and after the appropriate time has passed, then I can name you two successors."

"But why not now?"

"Because as far as everyone is concerned, my daughter is dead and buried, so I'm going to need sufficient time to find someone to replace my son as my successor, and I can't just come out of the blue and decide on Chris, I need to think about it more."

"I guess."

"Before you fire him and he gets carted off," Chris started, getting their attention, "I want to have a match with him."

"You're retired," Stephanie said. "You don't wrestle."

"It doesn't mean I can't," he told her. "I want to get him in the ring, I'll make it happen, I'll do something on the show, a struggle of power or something and we'll have it culminate at WrestleMania, that will be perfect."

"Chris, I don't think so," Stephanie told him.

"Why not?"

"I kind of like that idea," Vince said. "It'll add injury to insult in this case. I think it's most deserved, you don't agree, Stephanie?"

"No, I don't," she told him, looking at him. "I think it's a bad idea."

"Well, I like it, book it, Jericho."

Chris smirked. Stephanie frowned, glaring at her husband. He caught her look, but didn't make anything of it because this wasn't just about her. There were things he needed to settle with Shane and what better way than doing it in the ring. There he could get away with violence and not get sent to jail for it. He just wanted his fist to connect with Shane's face once, just once. He could practically feel the skin underneath his knuckles.

"We'll be going now, Dad, you can keep the tape." Stephanie got up and almost pulled Chris from his seat and out the door. She shoved him in front of her as they walked towards the elevator. Once they were inside she turned to him, "What the hell was that?"

"That was me making a match."

"You just want revenge for something I told you was over!" she yelled at him.

"I don't care," Chris said. "It's not always about you, Stephanie. Sometimes I need to do things, and if you don't like it, tough, but I'm going to get your brother in that ring and he's going to wish that he was never born in the first place."

"How dare you try and do something like that!"

"I'll do whatever the fuck I want to."

"I said it was over!"

"Well for me it isn't. It's not enough to see your brother get sent up the river. It's not. Shane is going to get what's his, and it's because it never should've happened, and if I don't get my hands on him now, it's going to get really ugly, really soon."

"I don't need you to defend me," she told him.

"Then think of it as preventing him from beating up anyone else from now on."


	24. Chapter 24

"So I've decided to wrestle at least one more time. I thought that it would be something special for WrestleMania."

Chris looked around at the other members of creative. They were all looking at him in surprise as he had never showed interest in returning to the ring after Stephanie died. Nobody really said anything about it, just assumed that since Stephanie was gone Chris wouldn't want to wrestle anymore since he and Stephanie had been close. This was definitely a surprise to them, but who were they to deny their boss the chance to wrestle.

"Who would you wrestle against?" Shane asked.

Chris smirked to himself. This was going along swimmingly. Shane was looking at him a little distrustfully and Chris couldn't blame the man. Shane was a shrewd gentleman in business, but he wasn't very smart when it came to anything else. Chris was going to prove that Shane had messed with the wrong man this time.

"Actually, I'm really glad that you asked that question, Shane," Chris said, turning to the man who was sitting across from him. "I want to wrestle you."

"What?" Shane asked, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Chris. "Why in the hell would you want to wrestle me?"

"Well, actually, I've come up with a great storyline that involves the two of us and I really like the idea so that's why I'm bringing it up now."

"No, I don't want to wrestle," Shane told him.

"I thought you might say that, but think about it, man, if we start having this epic struggle for power--"

"Why would we struggle for power?" Shane asked. "I'm a McMahon, _you_ work for _me_."

Chris grit his teeth at the tone of Shane's voice. If Shane only knew that he was actually his brother-in-law and had just as many rights, if not more than Shane did right now. Chris and Stephanie had always played it straight with Vince, they had no reason to lie to him, but Shane, Shane had been stealing right from under his father's nose and not only that, he had been fucking one of the employees in exchange for favors. Yes, Chris was much higher in Vince's estimation, but Shane didn't need to know that right now. It would be that much sweeter when Shane found out the business was going to Chris and Shane was only going to be going off to jail.

"Actually, I work for your father," Chris said calmly. All the members on the creative team were turning their heads back and forth watching the two men argue. They could feel a real fight starting to brew between the two of them.

"Well, I stand to inherit this company and I already own shares, so I think that you do work for me."

"Your father is the president," Chris said, "and he has hired me as the head of creative."

"I'm getting him right now!" Shane said, pushing himself away from the table like a spoiled, little boy. He glared at Chris the entire time that he was walking out of the room. Chris returned his gaze the whole way, not letting his eyes move, not acting intimidated in the slightest.

The door slammed behind Shane. Chris turned to the members of the creative team and smiled genially like none of that had bothered him, and it hadn't. "I anticipate that Vince will agree with me, so let's talk about it while Shane is gone."

Nobody spoke for a few seconds until one person spoke up, "Um, do you…are you ready to wrestle?"

"I keep myself in ring shape if that's what you're asking," Chris said. "I think that I can take on Shane McMahon."

"Do you want to get started on the storyline immediately?" someone else asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to," Chris said, "the sooner we get this started, the sooner that we get all that animosity out there, I don't think Shane's going to have a problem with that."

Everyone laughed and Chris knew that he was winning them over. Shane wasn't exactly a popular guy around here, which made it easier for Chris to manipulate everyone. Everyone liked to work for him. Stephanie had made him adopt this persona even though it was as far from him as he could possibly get. He wasn't a nice guy, not anymore, and he was sitting there plotting the downfall of two people and he didn't have a care in the world.

"What is this all about?" Vince asked as he walked into the meeting room. "Shane came and got me from my office."

"We were discussing a storyline idea that I had," Chris told him. "Have a seat, Vince, I would love to get your input on this."

"If you want," Vince shrugged taking an empty seat. "So what is this idea?"

"He wants me to wrestle him," Shane said with disgust. "Can you believe that, Dad? He actually wants me to wrestle him at WrestleMania, I told him that it was a stupid idea so I wanted to get your reinforcement on that."

"Let me hear this idea, Chris," Vince said, turning away from his son and looking at his son-in-law.

"Well, Vince, it's like this. I think that maybe we can set up some sort of struggle for power between me and Shane. It's pretty well-known that I'm a higher-up in the company now, what with me being the head of creative since…well, since Stephanie was with us."

Chris took the appropriate moment to sit there quietly, cupping a fist against his mouth. Everyone in the room except Shane and Vince were sympathetic towards Chris. Vince wasn't sympathetic because he knew Stephanie was alive and Shane wasn't sympathetic because he was glad his sister was dead. Since Stephanie's staged death, the opinion of her had gone up ten-fold and everyone seemed to regard her with a shining light, like she was an angel in life when she was nothing of the sort.

"Sorry," Chris continued, "Thinking about her sometimes, you know…well, I have a high position in the company and I was thinking, maybe things start to go wrong on Raw. Maybe a brand of chaos raises between some of our guys and the both of us have different ways of dealing with it, I could be the face in it and Shane, you could be the heel because you're so good at it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you're good at playing the bad guy." Chris said that with an edge to his voice and he wanted that edge to be there. Sometimes he could just look at Shane and want to kick his ass so badly that he wouldn't be recognizable to anyone. That old anger after hearing what he did to Stephanie would settle in the pit of his stomach like lead. "Anyways, that would culminate in a match for WrestleMania and you could advertise it hugely, what with me coming out of retirement and everything."

"Dad, that's stupid, don't you agree?"

Vince pretended to think it over and with each second that ticked by, Shane's eyes grew a little bit wider. "You know, I think that's a wonderful idea."

"What!" Shane exclaimed like a petulant child. "Dad, you cannot be serious. I don't have to wrestle if I don't want to!"

Now he really was just acting like a full-blown child. "Shane, I'm the boss around here, do you agree?"

"Yes," Shane said, but his voice was still defiant and Chris could tell that Shane was thinking about when he would be the boss.

"Then what I say goes, and I like the idea, I like it a lot, Chris, book it, get it started as soon as you want. You'll obviously be in charge of everything, don't pout, Shane," Vince said, looking at his son. "I trust your judgment with this, Chris, good work."

Shane was fuming now as Vince got up and left, patting Chris on the shoulder. Shane folded his arms and pouted like the little baby that he was as Chris outlined what he wanted out of this storyline. They eventually moved on to different topics, but Shane refused to participate in the conversation, instead choosing to just sit there and accept his fate. And what a fate it would be when Chris was through with him.

Chris dismissed the meeting and then left to go to his office. He walked inside and Stephanie was brooding on the couch, picking at her nails like that's all she had been doing, but Chris knew that she had been waiting for his return. He had expected her to be here, even if he had left her earlier that morning in their new residence that Chris had ponied up for. He sat at his desk and stared at her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, though he knew the answer. It seemed the appropriate conversation starter.

"Your secretary said you were in a creative meeting," Stephanie said after she had closed and locked the door so she could speak in her normal voice inside the soundproof office.

"I was," he told her, trying to give off a cold air, which is how she had been addressing him since he had told Vince that he wanted to get Shane in a match.

"So did you go through with your little plan?" she asked with a nonchalant air, but she was dying to know and Chris knew it too.

He decided to tease her a little bit, "Why do you want to know?"

"I don't want to know," she countered. "I was just asking you."

"Well, it seemed like you really wanted to know," Chris said. "I mean, why did you come down here otherwise?"

"I just came to see you," Stephanie told him.

"Stephanie, you _never _come just to see me, there's always some kind of motive. It's been that way since the day I became friends with you and why would it change now, sweetheart?"

"So I'm not allowed to come see my husband?" she asked him, sucking at her teeth a little.

"You either want to fuck or scheme, so which is it, Steph? You want me to fuck you because I've got a few minutes," Chris said, unzipping his pants. They hadn't had sex in the few days since he had dropped the bombshell of wanting the match. He was almost at the end of his rope regarding that. When they were in the same place at the same time they had never gone more than two days without sex and they were bordering on six now.

"Put that away," Stephanie said in disgust. "I just came down…to see my father."

"I'm not your dad," Chris told her, acting serious.

Stephanie was getting angry. "I just stopped by because…you were here, okay? God, I wanted to see my dad and discuss how we're going to transfer the company eventually. That's all."

"So why didn't you go straight to your dad's office, you really do want to fuck, don't you? Come on, take your clothes off."

"I hate you," Stephanie told him. "I wouldn't fuck you if you were the last man on Earth."

"Of course you would."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Well, if you are officially reneging the physical part of our marriage, I think that leaves me well within my rights to pursue other interests," Chris told her. "I bet that I could get what's-her-face down in accounting to sleep with me in two minutes. Maybe I should go for more of a challenge though. I've been waiting to get something a little different than the same, _boring_ pussy that I get every night."

"Fine, go right ahead," Stephanie told him. "See if I care, I'll just find someone who can…fill me up a little bit better than you can."

"Nothing's stopping you, sweetheart," Chris said, going to the door and opening it and bowing deeply to let her through. She huffed in place for a few seconds, not going anywhere. Chris smirked and stood back up. He closed the door and locked it again. "Seems like you're not leaving. How am I supposed to let a girl give me a blowjob in here when you won't leave?"

"Why do you have to do this!"

"Get a blowjob?" he asked smartly.

"Fight Shane, why do you have to do it?" she told him. "It's pointless, Chris, it's absolutely pointless."

"No, it's not."

"Yes it is!" Stephanie yelled. "It's pointless and stupid and you're being stupid and I don't know why you have to go through with this. We could have this entire thing wrapped up soon if it weren't for your need to lambaste my brother. He could be in jail!"

"I know, but I want this."

"I don't want this, I want him where he belongs, I want the damn company!"

"Some things are bigger than the fucking company!"

"No, nothing is bigger than the fucking company!"

"Yes, there is!" he said, pushing against her so she hit the wall, causing a picture of Chris with the title belts to clatter to the ground. He held her wrists back next to her head. Stephanie was never afraid of Chris and now was no exception.

"No…there is not," she told him slowly.

"Yes, there is, this, _this_ is bigger than the fucking company, we're bigger than the fucking company."

"What are you yammering on about?"

"Why do you never see how much you mean to me?"

"Don't go soft on me, Jericho."

"I'm not going soft on you, Stephanie, but goddammit, I love you, accept that at face value for God's sakes."

"I know you love me, I know you do, I've never called that into question."

"I know you haven't, but just because I tell you every now and then doesn't mean that I'm going soft. Just because I tell you that I care doesn't mean I'm going to start crying like some little bitch."

"Whatever, let me go," she told him.

"No, because you're going to listen to what I have to say."

"Then fucking say it."

"I love you and I was not there to protect you, do you know how much that kills me?"

"I didn't even…I wasn't friends with you."

"Well fuck that," Chris told her. "Because I'm here now and the image, the thought of that does something to me, inside my gut, that I don't even know how to begin to explain, but it wells up inside of me, and if I let Shane go to jail without quelling whatever it is that builds up inside of me whenever I think of that incident, well, I will be restless for the rest of my life."

"I told you it was over and done with, I've made my peace with it."

"I haven't."

"You weren't there!"

"I didn't have to be! Damn it, don't you get it!"

"Obviously I don't."

"What if I told you about some bitch who had stalked me or something, or some girl who dumped me and left me, or some bitch who tried to stab me, what would you do?"

"Well, I'd call you a pussy for one," Stephanie told him.

Chris groaned and pulled away from her, running his hands through his hair. "You just don't get it."

Stephanie watched him and it was obvious that this was honestly tearing him up inside. She walked up to him and ran her hand into his pants and then traveled up and under his shirt, rubbing his stomach. She never said so and neither did he, but they both knew that this gesture usually calmed Chris down. He took a few deep, calming breaths and closed his eyes, reveling in her touch.

"I get it," Stephanie told him. "I get it, you weren't with me, but you love me and any small slight against me--"

"It wasn't small."

"_Any_ slight against me is something you can't handle," Stephanie told him.

"Yeah."

"So go ahead with the match."

"Really?"

"Just do me one favor."

"What?"

"When you're in the ring with him, tell him that it's from me…with love."


	25. Chapter 25

Stephanie McMahon didn't get nervous.

She didn't get worried and she never thought something wasn't going to go her way. She was always in control of what happened and so she never worried about anything that could happen because the outcome always benefited her. So she wasn't worried about the outcome to Chris's match against Shane. She knew that Chris would win. She was just thinking as she tended to do late at night when Chris was asleep.

Usually he would be on her as he was that moment. He would come over to her side of the bed and rest his head next to her on the pillow and curl his hand around her, starting at her stomach and curving its way to the side of her breast. As they usually had sex before going to bed they had gotten used to sleeping naked or close to it most of the time. Right now she was just in her panties and Chris wasn't wearing anything at all and she could feel him pressing against her delightfully. She nearly woke him up to get some action, but she didn't.

He needed his rest. She knew his mind raced with what he wanted to do to Shane. It was a sticking point with him. She was hardly over it, she probably never would be, but she pretended she was because there was no use living in the past. The past was just that, the past. She didn't dwell on what could've been with Hunter and she didn't dwell on the person she could've been if Shane hadn't kicked the good out of her. So she didn't dwell on who she could've been because she was fine with what she was and she knew Chris loved her for what she was.

She knew she was lucky to have found someone like Chris, someone who was fine with living without scruples or morals. Chris took her as she was and didn't ask for much more than she could give him. Sometimes she knew he felt that he gave more than she did, but it was hard for her sometimes to show what she wanted, to be able to tell him things that she was uncomfortable saying. She had grown up in a cold household, hugging a foreign thing to her. Her family was impersonal, each respecting their own personal space and never crossing into one of the other's space.

But yes, he needed his rest. She could tell that his mind was solely on kicking Shane's ass. He hadn't wrestled in over a year and he was bound to be rusty, but she knew he'd be prepared for this match. She knew that he would stiff Shane every second of the match and would channel his anger over the incident to possibly put Shane in the hospital…and that's where her mind was at right now. Was she worried he would? No, but she knew it was a possibility that Chris would push too much and do something very stupid…and she had no tolerance for stupid.

Chris was the only person in the world she trusted and she never wanted to lose him. She didn't trust her father and he didn't trust her, so it was just Chris. She trusted Chris with everything she had and loved him with every bit of herself she could muster. Did she give herself up to him completely? No, but neither did he. They both kept a part of themselves tucked away. Chris was just better at hiding that part than she was. He could act like he had given up everything for her, but he hadn't, she knew and understood and loved that.

She felt Chris's rough fingers caressing the side of her breast, supple meeting hard. His hand moved over and ran across the top of her breast, grazing the skin. She turned to him, but couldn't see him in the dark. He was just a dark mass laying with her. Her breath quickened as he ran his finger over her sensitive skin and she couldn't see it, but she could feel his hazy smile as he knew he realized he was getting a rise out of her. Damn him, she thought, but didn't mean it. She loved it when he touched her like this.

"Why are you up?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep, but sexy in its roughness. His hand was getting bolder on her breast.

"I was thinking."

"About what?" he asked.

"Your match."

"I'm going to through with it," he said immediately.

"I know," she told him and there was no dissent in her voice. She understood his motives and she accepted them and that was that. "I'm just thinking about it."

"I'm going to win."

"I know that too," Stephanie said.

"So why keep yourself up over it?"

"I'm not allowed to think now?" she joked and he chuckled softly and pulled himself closer so he could get to her neck, laving her with kisses and licks and she sighed softly, which made him smile against her skin.

"Of course you're allowed to think. I just don't want you thinking you can talk me out of this. I'm going to be in this match and I'm going to beat Shane to within an inch of his life…if he's lucky, maybe I'll just finish him off."

"Don't talk like that," she told him and she had tensed to his touch so he knew she wasn't teasing right now, she was honestly asking him not to talk like that. There was something different to Stephanie when they were in bed in the middle of the night. She never lost that tough exterior, but it bent a little at night, she became pliant and so did Chris.

"Steph…"

"I think about that and I don't like it," she told him. "I don't want you to seriously hurt him."

"I won't, I can control myself."

She scoffed, "Since when have you been able to control yourself over anything?"

"I take offense to that," Chris said, "it's only with you that I totally lose control."

"I love you," Stephanie said, kissing his forehead. "But you're going to go crazy on him. We both know this is going to happen. You're going to go crazy on him and you're going to lose control and what then, Chris? This is still supposed to just be a wrestling match."

"I'll make it a grudge match," Chris said, "that way it's more like a fight."

"Still, you go into that ring thinking that you're going to come out of it, worse for the wear, sure, but that you're going to come out of it. I'd just rather you not come out of it in handcuffs. Shane could…you know he would absolutely press charges if things got too rough."

"Then we'll make sure we have an iron-clad contract going into it. We'll put that part in the fine print."

"Still…"

"Stephanie, I'm not going to go crazy on the guy, I promise," Chris said.

"Okay," she said and that had to be that. She had to take his word for it because if she couldn't trust him, there was nobody she could trust.

"Tell me again what happened," he whispered.

"Chris, no," she told him, her voice raw, but still firm.

"Stephanie, I need the motivation."

She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair. She didn't speak for a few moments and Chris thought she wasn't going to talk and he didn't force her. He loved her and didn't necessarily want to make her relive it, but he wanted to carry every detail with him into his match and match Shane punch for punch. Every punch he delivered would be a punch from Stephanie, every kick, a kick from Stephanie. This was about her and her alone.

He resumed caressing her skin, content not to talk anymore. He understood if she didn't want to talk to her about it. He knew her so well. He just wanted to carry her hurt and share it with her, but he understood how it hurt to even think about that ultimate betrayal by someone that was supposed to love her. He went back to kissing her neck, letting her know through his touches that he was moving on and he wouldn't bother her about it.

"It hurt," she told him softly. "It hurt, everywhere. I just…I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to hurt him like that but he hurt me because I accidentally hurt him."

Chris closed his eyes as he listened to her voice. There was no tremble to it, no sadness, just quiet. They were just quiet facts, like she was running down a list in a room full of sleeping people. "And…"

"My arm was throbbing," Stephanie said. "He grabbed it harder than I'd ever been grabbed before, like he wanted to crush the bone into dust…like he wanted to crush me into dust."

Her voice was getting stronger now, more sure of herself, the feelings of hate were palpitating through her and into him.

"He probably did," she said, the slightest hint of sarcasm creeping into her otherwise toneless voice. "He threw me against the wall and my hand immediately went to the back of my head and I could feel the blood. I told the doctor I was a wrestler and had been in a match. I drove myself. I had five stitches put into my head, they had to cut the hair around it and I begged them not to shave it because someone would notice. I kept my hair up a lot of the time so nobody would notice. It was smeared on my hand and I don't know, it shocked me I guess. I didn't expect to see it and then he kicked at me, not hard, no, it wasn't hard, it was…like I was a piece of trash on the street and he was kicking me out of his path, not even pity, just…like trash on the street. I begged him to stop, can you believe that? I actually begged someone. I was humiliated. I just told myself I would never be in this position again, ever, I would never let anyone treat me like this again."

Chris took a deep breath, "I'm going to make him feel that kind of pain. I promise you, I'm going to make him feel that kind of pain. I'm going to make him feel his blood trickling from his head and I'm going to have a grin on my face the entire time."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"Then afterwards, your father is going to fire him and press charges against him and he's going to go to jail where he belongs. He belonged there a long time ago, but it's okay, we're going to get our revenge all the same. Even if it's not for what he really should be in there for."

"Yes, we're going to annihilate him," she said, her voice strong now and resolved. "He's not going to get away with this. We've got the proof."

"Yeah, and we have your dad on our side. He's not going to side with Shane," Chris said. "Your dad values money above everything else so no way would he let your brother get away with it. Then soon after that, he's going to transfer the power Shane had to me and then we'll be in charge, Steph."

"We'll have the power."

"Yeah, and everyone is going to kneel at our feet," Chris said. "We'll bring this company to a kind of prominence it has never seen before. We're going to show everyone how it really is to run a company and the best part is your dad has no idea what we want to do."

"We're going to wait until he retires of course," Stephanie said, "but no, he doesn't know that he's just another pawn in our game."

Chris laughed, "We're the best at what we do…you aren't playing me are you?"

Stephanie actually laughed at that and turned her head towards him. It was still dark, but their eyes had adjusted to the dark and she could just make out the faint lines of his strong jaw. "If I were using you, you would've been out of my life the second that you had served my purpose. I plan on keeping you around."

"So no cabana boys waiting in the wings ready to let you be their sugar mommy?"

"No ring rats ready to suck you off the moment you unzip your zipper?" she countered.

"And catch what they have, Stephanie come on, I would at least go to a club and find myself some clean pussy that hasn't been touched by every wrestler in the company."

"That's my boy," Stephanie told him. "But my dad will serve his purpose. We don't want to upset him before he gives the company to us and even after that. He can reveal our secret. We have to make sure he feels valuable. That was the entire point of letting him in on our little secret, including him in the plan. It makes him feel important. If we phase him out now, he'll snatch the company back from us. Best to just let him think he's in charge."

"You're right, we still need him."

"Yes, but don't worry, we'll still have it all and we'll gently rule over him too," Stephanie said. Chris rolled over on top of her, grinding himself against her. She moaned and pulled him closer as he growled in her ear.

"I like the way you think."


	26. Chapter 26

Stephanie sat twirling Chris's hair around her finger. This was the first night of the feud between Chris and Shane. Chris was already ramped up and he was bouncing his leg up and down in anticipation. Stephanie, though not as enthused, was also a bit on edge. So she was occupying her time with twirling Chris's hair. Sometimes she missed her own long hair, but she had an image to keep up and maybe someday when they were out of the limelight she could grow it out again.

Chris was going over what he wanted to say in the ring. He had to control himself, that was the only way he could get through this without going ballistic on Shane. He had a barely controlled anger for the man as it was. Being in the ring, standing across from him, it was going to be tough to keep his hands from closing around his neck and squeezing the life right out of him.

"Calm down," she whispered to him. "You can't look inexperienced out there."

"I know what I'm doing," he told her.

This was like an old hat for him. He hadn't been in front of the camera since Stephanie had faked her death, but it wasn't like he didn't know how to go out there and entertain the fans. That was going to be the strangest part about all of this; he was going to be the good guy. Chris knew he wasn't a very good guy, but in his eyes, Shane was exceptionally bad. Chris would never hit a woman, get her drunk and have her pose naked, sure, but he'd never hit one.

There were many rules Chris didn't live by. He was devious and manipulative, but he also had rules he _did_ live by. Even if Stephanie revealed she had been using him this entire time, if she threw his love for her back in his face, he would still never hit her. He guessed that made him a decent person. Even if he gave up many of his scruples, there was still a decency in him. Shane had left that behind a long time ago, lying on the floor next to his sister and he could never retrieve it, not in Chris's eyes.

"So you say, but I'll be damned if I let you go out there and look stupid," Stephanie told him, a hard edge to her voice.

"I'm not _going_ to," he said, emphasizing his words through gritted teeth. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"I'm just making sure, don't snap at me."

"How was that snapping at you?" he asked sarcastically. "I didn't say anything about you. I'm just saying I know what I'm doing. In case you've forgotten, I've been doing this for years."

"Yes, I know, but you are going into this with a vendetta, a _real_ vendetta," she told her husband. "You could slip up, act stupid, do something that could be a detriment to us in the long run. I want to put my brother in jail, remember?"

"Oh, really, is that what we're doing here? I wasn't sure, thanks for reminding me," Chris said sardonically, rolling his eyes at his wife. Sometimes she was so drive and he both loved and hated that about her. She never took her eyes off what she wanted and while it was endearing to a fault, it could just as easily turn annoying as it was right now.

"I just don't want him ending up in a hospital bed instead. Goals, Chris, goals."

"_Mary_," he started almost mockingly. Yes, they were in a public place right now and he had to call her by her other name, but he also knew how much she hated it so he added a little extra zip to it to get his point across. "I know what I'm doing, like I've told you a million times before."

"Don't do that," she hissed at him.

"What, darling?"

"Just shut up," Stephanie said, leaning back in her chair and sulking. Chris tried to wrap his arm around her, but she shrugged his arm off. He had had enough so he just sat there, arms, folded.

Hunter walked down the hallway. He had regressed a lot since he had thought he saw Stephanie at the bank. He could've sworn it was Stephanie. It looked exactly like her, the hair, the eyes, everything was the same. He just couldn't believe it wasn't her. But he had to be seeing things. Maybe he saw someone who looked remarkably like her and his mind was trying to make that person her. He was projecting her onto someone else. That had to be it, Stephanie was gone, he had seen her, been there, held her hand until the last. He was with her through her final moments.

He couldn't explain it, but it kept gnawing at him. Did he want Stephanie alive that much? Would this tortuous love for her continue forever, until it choked him to death? It felt like every day was a bear to get through without her. She was everything to him and he had been snatched away. He had thought he could move on, try to steal away Chris's wife, but that had been futile. He had started to think crazy things about her, heard crazy things, haunting things.

There she was, sitting there with Chris. She was truly a beauty and he was jealous Chris could have someone in his life and he couldn't. Why did Chris Jericho of all people deserve any kind of happiness? Stephanie had sent that letter, had said…he just couldn't believe she would be with Chris Jericho. It had to be a joke. They were just friends, they were always just friends and nothing more. Sure, they flirted and sometimes they were a little too close for comfort, but to sleep together? She had assured him they hadn't.

Still, Chris was perfectly happy here, starting a new feud and actually coming back to wrestle. He was also the head of creative. It was like he had gotten over everything and Stephanie had to see that from wherever she was. She had to see he had never really cared about him while he still cared, was still trying to get over his grief over her. Maybe he saw her because he was with her. That was a nice thought.

Stephanie saw Hunter staring at her and she looked skyward. It was getting a little unnerving actually. She leaned over to Chris, "Look who's staring at me."

Chris looked around and saw Hunter brooding over in the hallway, staring at the two of them. Chris groaned, "What the hell does he want?"

"I don't know, he's so in love with me, I guess he just wants to stare," Stephanie said haughtily. She studied him a little more. "It looks like he hasn't showered in days. That's disgusting, no wonder Stephanie was willing to die to get away from him."

"That is true," he said, then called out, "what the hell are you looking at, Trips?"

"Nothing," Hunter said, his voice hoarse.

"Then stop staring at my wife, bastard," Chris told him angrily.

"I wasn't staring at her," he said, taking a few steps forward.

"Oh, that's right, because you're still so devoted to Stephanie, right?" Chris scoffed. "Get over it man, learn to live a little instead of constantly having one foot in the grave with her."

"Shut up," Hunter snapped.

Chris was having a grand time taunting him. It was actually very calming and he was now not worrying at all about his feud with Shane. Maybe he should actually thank Hunter for being such an asshole, "I don't have to, I'm your boss."

"You don't know anything about my grief."

"I think I do," Chris said and Stephanie recognized the tone in his voice. He was thinking of something to do to Hunter and she knew she would love whatever it was. She reached down and squeezed his leg gently, running her fingers lightly up the cotton of his pants. The fabric tickled his leg a little and as she reached the crotch of his pants, he was already getting hard, just from her ministrations. He discreetly swatted her hand away. The last thing he needed when he went out to the ring was a hard-on.

"You have no idea," Hunter said, his eyes fiery and his gaze strong. It was like he was daring Chris to challenge him. Even with him as he was now, he still wanted to fight.

"Yeah, I do."

"No, you don't," he said, his voice getting tighter and tighter.

"I really do."

"Shut up, Jericho, you have no idea what I've been through."

"You see her," he said, his voice quiet, but strong, so strong.

Stephanie tried to hold in her smirk. She knew now what Chris was going to do and she absolutely approved of what he was going to do. She tried to get her hand on his crotch again, but he pushed it away again. He looked at her pointedly, telling her to stop. She shook her head slightly and he glared at her.

Hunter gulped.

"What?" he asked.

"You see her, everywhere, I bet. I did too. I would think I saw her everywhere I went, the store, the park, even the bank," Chris said, glancing up at Hunter. Hunter's eyes widened, but he tried to hide it. "You feel her presence, like she's sitting right next to you, like if you just look over, she'll be there, looking back at you, that smile on her face, you know the one. Yeah, I know."

Stephanie was trying to hold in her laughter. Chris knew exactly where to hit Hunter. The look on his face was so sad-looking. If she cared one bit about Hunter, she might feel something like sympathy for him, but Stephanie had no sympathy for him so she just sat there smugly. Chris was being so subtle, hinting so much that she was Stephanie, but this idiot wasn't picking up on it.

"I can attest to that," Stephanie drawled. "It took him so long to get over her, but he had me right by his side to help him through."

"Yeah, she's the best," Chris said, looking at her with adoration only meant to rile up Hunter. It was so fun rubbing his nose in it. Someday, maybe he'd even get to say he took the rug right out from under him and married the woman he loved before he even had a chance to marry her. Not only that, but she loved him, honestly loved him and wasn't with him because she had nothing better to do.

"Thank you, sweetheart, you are just the most darling man ever," Stephanie said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he told her, kissing her deeply. Then he pulled away and licked his lips a little. Stephanie had slipped her tongue in his mouth, adding a bit of insult to injury. She loved the idea of kissing right in front of the man she was supposed to marry. It definitely got her hot.

"So you see, I know exactly what it feels like."

Hunter fumed. He couldn't believe the audacity of this man. To just up and do that in front of him was rude and unnecessary. "You have no idea what I've been through so don't even try to pretend like you know."

"Except I do."

"No, trust me, you don't."

Chris sat there for a second, like he was thinking. He looked over at Stephanie and he really couldn't relate to Hunter. He had actually gotten the girl and at first, he didn't really even want her in the first place, but damn if he didn't love her now. Hunter didn't have Stephanie and he did so in essence, he had won and he didn't know what Hunter was going through. He winked at Stephanie and she smirked at him.

"No, I guess I don't."


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Thanks to everyone still reading and reviewing this story and sorry for the lack of update. Enjoy and please leave a review. :)

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After Chris had humiliated Hunter once again it was time for him to start humiliating another person, his brother-in-law, Shane. Leaving Hunter devastated just fueled the fire of his adrenaline and he went out there feeling great. The fans were surprised to see him, not expecting to ever see him on-screen again. As his music hit, a ripple started through the crowd and the cheers really started in earnest.

He put on a smile because he was a good guy here. Everyone loved him here. He stood on the ramp for a second, soaking it in and then jogged down the ramp, running from side to side and slapping any hands that were sticking out. There were cheers to the rafters and he took it in but could really care less about what the fans thought. They only cheered him because he hadn't been on television in over a year. Did they care about him when he was out of the ring? No. Wrestling was such a fickle business. One minute you're in the spotlight, the next minute you're out and nobody gives a damn.

But he had to act the part. If anyone was going to be the bad guy in this situation, it was going to be Shane. Chris could never be as horrible a person as Shane had been to Stephanie and really after Stephanie as well. Because he thought himself the sole heir to company, he believed he could dip his hand in the money and pull out whatever he wanted. But Chris had a watchful eye and so did Stephanie and now, so did Vince. If only Shane knew how deep in this he was. He was going to be floundering soon.

Chris could already picture himself kicking Shane in the stomach, causing so much damage he'd be spitting out blood. Was Chris being too ruthless in his imagination? Perhaps, but he could only picture a broken Stephanie and his anger peaked and he was imagining Shane, beaten, bruised, humiliated, and only after all that, carted away to the nearest police station. He would take great satisfaction in attending Shane's trial and watching him get sentenced. It wouldn't be for what he truly wanted to see Shane convicted for, but it would have to do.

Chris took up the microphone and he brought it to his lips, but the crowd was too loud and he could barely hear his own thoughts. These crazy fans. If only they knew. He tried to get the crowd to calm down, shaking his head and gesturing his hand lower so they could quiet down, but this only seemed to incite them to action even more. He even caught a few people bowing like he was some sort of deity. Why couldn't they be some hot girls so he could at least look down their shirts? Stephanie wouldn't be able to tell if he were checking out women here. In fact, there was a girl in the second row jumping up and down and he was getting quite the eyeful.

"Oh come on," Chris said, chuckling at the people, but they continued to cheer and he shook his head.

Stephanie snapped her gum. She couldn't believe how fickle people were. When Chris left he was hardly beloved and people were certainly not cheering like they were now. It was just like how people saw her now, well, the dead her. They treated her spirit as if she was some sort of angel. She had been despicable, in many ways she still was and yet, whenever she heard her name brought up in conversation, someone was praising her. It got a little sickening after a while. She had wanted to go out with a bang and these people made her out to be Mother Teresa or something.

"Okay, okay, quiet down everyone," Chris said good-naturedly, plastering his best fake smile on his face. "Yes, yes, I'm here, it's me, Chris Jericho, in the flesh, this isn't a mirage, I'm really here."

The crowd came to life again and Chris hoped that Hunter was watching. If he could kill two birds with one stone, why not? The only think Hunter had nowadays was the fans that cheered him (delusional as they were) and if Hunter was watching and seeing how the crowd responded so positively to him, maybe that perpetual knife in Hunter's heart could twist that much more. Chris wanted to cackle, but this was neither the time nor the place for that. Backstage, alone with Stephanie, then he could cackle and she would join in and they would truly hold the market for evil laughter.

"Unfortunately, I'm not here because I'm happy, though I really am happy to see you all, I've missed you and by the ovation, I can tell you've missed me too," he said, grinning at them and pretending to take it all in and be humbled by it. Humble was not a word Chris was very familiar with, but he could fake it better than anyone.

"I've been noticing lately that things on Raw…they've been kind of…shall I say, bad," Chris said, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. "As most of you know, ever since Stephanie McMahon died," there were a few scattered boos, but then also a few scattered cheers, he wasn't really sure what that meant, "I've taken over her position in management. It's been hard, but I felt like I owed it to Stephanie to take over for her when she was my best friend."

If he was going to play the good guy, he couldn't think of a better way than bringing up a dead person and honoring them by continuing their work. "I didn't think I would want to come back to wrestling, but I love Raw and I don't want it to go to hell."

Chris was going to continue, but Shane's music hit and a moment later, he was on the ramp. He'd spoken with Shane briefly earlier about tonight. Shane had dismissed him, saying he knew what he was going to say. Chris had a sneaking suspicion that Vince had made Shane run by what he was going to say to him. Shane probably grudgingly did it and Chris would've liked to have seen his face, Shane having to succumb to Vince's will. Shane didn't like being the person not in charge, that was pretty evident so whenever he was forced to, it was such a great thing.

"Chris, Chris, Chris, it's so nice to see you in front of the camera, I think people were starting to forget your face and God forbid that happen, right?" Shane asked caustically.

"Well, if that ovation I got was any indication, I don't think the fans have forgotten me at all," he said as the crowd cheered their agreement.

"If there's anything wrong with Raw, I don't think it's any of your business."

"I think it's absolutely my business. I am management, I deal with the talent and I'm sorry, someone has got to be in charge around here."

"I can be in charge around here," Shane said and there was an undercurrent of real tension here. Even from his position in the ring, Chris could see Shane's jaw clenched. He hated this storyline and he didn't want to be here, but he was being forced by someone he considered his inferior.

"Where have you been then?" Chris asked. "Huh? You like to think of yourself as 'one of the boys,' but you aren't, Shane. You never have been. You've never put your body on the line day in and day out--"

"Well look at you, sitting behind your cozy desk now, aren't you?"

"I'm trying to honor your sister," Chris shot back and that had more venom in it than he had meant. He had to keep these feelings in check, at least for now. He took a shallow breath, trying to calm himself. If he had his way, he'd charge up the ramp and then throw Shane off the stage and then watch as he broke. He liked the sound of that, Shane broken and bruised.

"Oh yeah, honor her, you barely even liked her, admit it, you just used her for what she could do for you."

Somehow, Chris didn't think this was part of any plan that Shane had laid out with Vince. Oh well, if that's how he wanted to play it. "I cared about her more than you did."

Chris gave Shane a pointed look and for a moment, he could see the understanding in Shane's eyes. He couldn't definitively tell if Shane knew now that he knew, but for a moment at least, Shane thought he knew and that was a very powerful thing. But then the mask came back over Shane's face and Chris could only surmise that Shane had remembered that the only witness to such event was supposedly buried six feet in the ground and surely she could testify if she was locked in a coffin for all eternity. More accurately though, a bunch of sandbags were locked in a coffin for all eternity.

"She was my sister," Shane said, trying to save face maybe. Wasn't working though because the crowd was all for Chris and whatever cheers Shane may have gotten were starting to turn slowly.

"Yeah, she was, but she was my friend and I'm trying to help out around here and I think Raw needs a General Manager. I'm willing to be that General Manager."

"I don't think so," Shane said, "if anyone is going to be General Manager is _me_. I know how to handle a business, you would just run the entire thing in the ground and ruin the show."

"Like you would do any better?" Chris smirked. "When was the last time you actually tried to run a bunch of wrestlers? Was it when you were running away because the big, bad Triple H married your little sister and then you came back to ride on her coattails. The only thing you're good for is being someone's lackey, isn't that right, Shane."

"And the only thing you're good for is being 2nd best, right, Jericho? Because you've never been the name of this company, you've never made it to the top of the mountain because you're not good enough and you're not going to be good enough at this."

"We'll see, Shane, we shall see."

Vince's music started up and Shane looked at his father. He wasn't expecting this, he hadn't been told about this. Chris held in his amusement. He knew Vince was going to show up, but they had thought that Shane shouldn't know. It might be a little foreshadowing for how out of the loop Shane was. Vince sauntered out beside Shane and clasped him on the shoulder briefly.

"I was backstage listening to the two of you and I just couldn't decide who I think would make a better General Manager of the show so I thought about choosing diplomatically, but I think a fight is a better idea. I'm making a match for the two of you, next week, then we'll see which one of you wants it more. What do you say?"

"I'm all in, Chris said, "what about you, Shane?"

Shane looked between them. This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be one match and before that just a verbal struggle, it wasn't supposed to be a match next week. He felt hoodwinked right now and he didn't know how to respond. He looked between his father and Chris. Did they discuss this? Was Chris as much in the dark as he was? He didn't know. Unlike Chris, Shane couldn't read the other man. Chris was a cool person and he never really showed his cards. He'd learned not to a long time ago.

Shane gulped a little and then responded, his voice a little high-pitched, "Yeah, sure, that's fine."

"Great, I'm sure whoever comes out as the winner will make a fine General Manager," Vince said then walked backstage.

"You and me, Shane, next week, watch out," Chris said threateningly as Shane stormed backstage. Chris let the crowd cheer him on for a few minutes before going backstage. He walked in on Shane yelling at Vince, wondering what the hell was going on.

"This wasn't planned!"

"Change of plans," Vince said. "I thought this would go over better."

"What the hell, you're supposed to alert me of these things!"

"No, you don't, you'll do what's told."

"I don't want to fight him next week."

"Well, too bad," Vince said, "the match is on."

Shane could say nothing more.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, hope you like the chapter. Reviews are awesome and much appreciated. :)

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Shane wasn't going to give up trying to get his way out of the match next week. Weasel his way out was more like it. He was part of upper management and was in line to inherit the entire company now that his good-for-nothing sister was six feet underground. He was going to have the entire company to himself and he would do a much better job than his father had done. Vince was getting old anyways and it was time for him to take a step back, senile old fool. He shouldn't have to go through with such idiotic storylines.

He'd figure out a way to get out of this. He still couldn't believe his father would side with that imbecile Chris Jericho. He was a wrestler trying to be something better, but he lacked the kind of education Shane had and therefore should not get the say over him. He stalked down to his father's office and blew past his secretary, who stood up to try and keep him out without being buzzed in.

"Mr. McMahon, is your father expecting you?" she called out to him.

"Doesn't matter," Shane said, blowing past her and throwing the door open to the office. "Dad, I want to talk to you!"

Vince looked up from his paperwork and over the rim of his eyeglasses to his irate son. He figured Shane would be in here sooner or later. The boy tried to play the suck-up role, but Vince could see him for what he truly was now, a sniveling snake of a weak man, who used dirty tactics to get what he wanted. Vince wasn't above using his own dirty tactics, but they were usually reserved for other people, not people in his own family.

"What about?" Vince asked calmly, taking the glasses off his face and placing them down gently on the desk.

"You putting me in this ridiculous storyline. I let it go far enough Dad, but no more, I'm putting my foot down on this one."

"I'm not sure you can," Vince told him, leaning back in his chair as he studied his son.

"Dad, when you die, who is going to be taking over the company?" Shane asked what he thought was a redundant question. Little did Shane know that the company would not be going to him at all, but would be going to his daughter, the one in the same that Shane thought was dead. Of course, on the surface, it would look like the company was going to Chris Jericho and in fact, that might make Shane even angrier. "It's me, so I should have a lot of say around here."

Shane had _too_ much say, that was the problem. "I like to think you have a lot of say around here, Shane."

"Then why are you sticking me in this storyline? I don't want to be in it. I don't want to be in it!" he repeated angrily, his eyes blazing like a wildfire gone mad. "You cannot honestly let Chris Jericho have more say over this show than I do."

"He is the head of creative," Vince rationalized. "We trust him with pretty much everything around here, you know and I must say, ratings have been exceptionally high lately or haven't you noticed. If you haven't, maybe you should go and look them over. We're up in all demographics and Pay-Per-View buys are also up. I think he's doing a fantastic job."

"Oh Dad, you are being taken in. There's nothing different, people are just watching more because they are," Shane tried to justify the up in viewership. He refused to give credit to Chris Jericho of all people, the stupid, little pissant who thought he was better than him just because he got his way once.

"I don't think so. I think he's been doing an exceptional job with the show, especially now that he's back on the show. I think this storyline is going to bring the ratings up even higher. I'm actually anxious to see how things work out. I think he has solid ideas with this one...of course you're entitled to input your own ideas as well.

"How about stopping this storyline?"

"No can do."

"Well I can, I have say in my own career and I'm not doing it," Shane said, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair as if he were preparing to out-sit his father on this one.

"I hate to break it to you, Shane, but you _will_ be going through this storyline with Chris and you're going to do everything that is asked of you to help the show, do you understand?"

"I don't have to, I'm one of the Executive Vice Presidents," he said haughtily.

"I have it on good authority that your contract obligates you to participate," Vince said. The contract he'd written up for Shane a few months ago had made absolute sure of that. He wasn't going to allow Shane to have any outs on this one.

"You can't be serious," Shane said, his face dropping as he realized that he might actually have to go through with this.

"It does, you can have the lawyers look it over if you'd like," Vince told him smugly.

"Fine, whatever," Shane said, defeated now and wanting to get out of here before his father decided that there was something else he wanted Shane to do. God, he wanted out of this company, but he had to be careful with things. His plan was to leave for a while, declare himself burnt out and take his money and run for a while, then come back once his father died to claim the company as his own. It was fool-proof. Or it would've been if there were people who didn't know about it, but what Shane didn't know right now was he was in big trouble.

Shane stood up and without another word left his father in his office. He sulked out of there, not looking at anyone. If his father wasn't willing to listen, he was going to have to go to someone else. He went into the elevator and down a few floors and down the hallway and to the right. He knocked on the door this time, but didn't bother to wait for anyone to answer before he walked in. Chris was there and he was not alone. His whore of a wife was sitting on one of his couches. If Shane could define the word gold-digger, he would put Chris's wife picture right next to the definition. She looked like the epitome of gutter trash.

He didn't really like Chris Jericho, never really had, though at times it had been beneficial for him to suck up to the man in question. Still, Chris Jericho, along with so many of the wrestlers, was someone below Shane's class and he didn't like associating with those types unless they were easy girls he could sleep with and then dump, like that girl down in accounting. Sure, she was a good enough fuck, but there was no future there, no matter what she might believe otherwise. He wasn't going to waste his time with one easy whore when there was a whole world of easy whores. Gold-digging was what he couldn't stand. They were the girls that couldn't get a grasp on reality.

"We need to talk," Shane said calmly, then looked pointedly at the woman he didn't know was his sister. "Alone."

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my wife," Chris told him. He wouldn't deny Stephanie seeing her brother act like a fool. Even if he were pissed at her, that was something he wouldn't deny her.

"I would rather not."

"Sweetheart, if it's really such a bother that I be here--"

"It is," Shane snapped.

"Stay," Chris told her. "This is _my_ office, Shane, I can keep her here if I want to and I say she can stay, what do you want?"

"This storyline is over, do you hear me, it's over," Shane told him.

"Did your dad approve of this?" Chris asked blithely. "I could give him a call right now and ask him."

Chris made a motion to pick up the phone, but Shane slammed his hand down against the receiver. "If you like your job, Chris, you will listen to what I'm saying. I have power around here, Chris, this company is going to be mine soon enough once the old man finally chokes on his own ego. When that happens, you better believe you're out on your ass if you're not gone already. I could fire you right now, actually, then where would your little storyline be?"

"You can't fire me," Chris told him nonchalantly.

"Yes, I can, I can fire anyone I want to at any time."

"I have a clause."

What was with these clauses! Shane sucked at his teeth a little. "I am not fighting you next week or at WrestleMania or anywhere else for that matter. Have I made myself clear?"

"You're wrestling me," Chris told him.

"No, I'm not. I'm not a wrestler. I am an Executive Vice President, I don't have to do this shit if I don't want to...I mean, my dad says I have to, but...I'm not doing it, I'm not going to stand for it, I could just quit you know, I could quit right now."

"Then do it, quit."

Shane didn't have enough money to quit yet so he was trapped in a corner. "You know, you are just like my stupid whore of a sister was. I don't know what kind of game you're playing at here, Jericho, but you're just like her."

"Don't talk about your sister like that," Chris said and his tone was still calm, but in a dangerous way. A way that said if Shane said one more word about Stephanie, Chris would leap across this desk and strangle him where he stood. "It's not right to talk ill about the dead."

"Or what, she's going to haunt me?" Shane scoffed, "Ooh, the big, bad, scary Stephanie is going to chase me from the grave. She's worm food at this point, rotting away underground. I'm just sorry I couldn't see her go with my own two eyes. I have to appease myself by dancing on her grave."

"Shut up," Chris spat.

"No, I didn't care what happened to her when she was alive, why the hell would I care now?"

"Maybe she isn't as gone as you think she is, how about that?"

He said it out of anger, but Stephanie's eyes widened as she looked at Chris. How could he say something like that? If Shane was smart, he would read into that comment and realize that she wasn't dead. She was giving Shane a lot more credit than she probably should, but she was shooting pointed looks in Chris's direction. He was ignoring them though because he was so angry, his eyes could not keep off Shane's face. He hadn't even realized what he said to Shane and he didn't care. He just wanted to kick him like he'd kicked Stephanie, that was all.

"Oh, what, Chris, is her spirit hovering around because you _loved_ her, you pathetic asshole," Shane told him.

"I told you not to say anything about her again."

"She wasn't good for anything, the stupid slut...oh wait, is that why you miss her so much, because you fucked her a couple of times? Wow, Chris, I knew you were into some cheap sluts, but Stephanie? That had to be the lowest of the low, huh? Were you drunk, I could look past it if you were drunk."

"I said shut up!" Chris said, flying across the desk, knocking over papers as he lunged himself across. His phone clattered to the floor as his foot knocked at it and he grabbed Shane's collar. He was agile like a cat and landed on his feet in front of his brother-in-law. He shoved Shane back, but still kept his grip so Shane's head whipped back. "I told you not to say anything about Stephanie again and if you say one more word, Shane, I will not hesitate to kick your ass. I can't be fired and I doubt you'd file an assault against me."

"Why do you doubt that?" Shane asked.

"Trust me on this one."

Stephanie was just sitting back and watching. She didn't necessarily condone Chris doing this here, in his office, where anyone could see, but she wasn't about to stop it unless it escalated to the point where there was physical violence. While Stephanie could easily pull the early trigger and get her brother arrested for his embezzlement, but she really wanted the added public humiliation he would get if Chris were able to beat him unconscious at the biggest show of the year. Besides, seeing Chris bully her asshole of a brother was quite the turn-on.

"Go to hell," Shane said, spitting in Chris's face. Chris had had it and punched Shane in the jaw, sending him backwards and into the couch next to his sister. Shane grabbed his jaw.

"Get the hell out of here, Shane."

"You're going to regret that, Jericho, you are going to regret that."


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, I really appreciate them and I hope that you'll take the time to review this one too. Enjoy. :)

* * *

"Do you realize you could've blown it for us?"

"I didn't blow anything, but if you want to blow me, I have no problem with that," Chris said, starting to go for his zipper.

"Keep it in your damn pants, the last thing I'm going to do right now is suck you off," Stephanie said as she paced around the living room. She and Chris had bought a condo in Connecticut to live in for the time being. She didn't want to buy a house just yet because then it might seem suspicious to Shane. She didn't want Shane to think that they were here permanently, settling roots or whatever it was that people did when they wanted to settle down. She'd rather him think they were a general nuisance that would go away soon enough.

Basically, she wanted him to believe that he was going to get the company very soon. She wanted him to think that her father was going to hand it over to him so he could run and then when he didn't, that's when the boom would really lower. Then, and only then, would she buy a house and she would make sure it was as opulent and extravagant as she could get, just so Shane could think about it during those lonely hours spent in his jail cell. She'd read they spent something like 23 hours in their cells a day. That seemed a good amount of time to think.

She'd never do something as stupid as try to steal money from the company. Despite everything Stephanie had ever done to anyone, the worst they could probably book her on was petty theft or defamation of character and even then, they'd really have to dig deep to get her. Her death, maybe they could get her on something there, but it wasn't like she'd done it to escape any debts or anything. Before she'd "died" she'd made sure to pay off every outstanding charge she'd had. But embezzlement, there was just too much there, too much you could slip up on and Shane had slipped up. That was why she never did anything that could be pinned on her.

Right now, though, she was mad. Chris could've blown everything with that stupid mouth of his. "Oh come on," he said teasingly. "I bet you I can get hard in a minute flat if you were to help me out."

"Fat chance," she said, folding her arms as she continued to pace. "I don't even want to look at your face right now, in fact, why don't you get the hell out of my face," she finished stormily, a war waging in her eyes. If she didn't see Chris ever again from this moment, she'd be just fine.

"You wouldn't have to look at my face if you gave me a blowjob, sweetheart," he said, drawing out the last word so it became sarcastic. "In fact, I prefer it when you _don't_ look up at me, just focus on the task at hand, really."

"Get out!" she said, pointing towards the door.

"In case you've forgotten, I paid for this place because you're supposed to be some poor country bumpkin without a damn cent to your name. I can stay here if I want to and if you went to the cops, the place is in my name. I'm on the deed, baby, so do something about it."

"Do you even realize why I'm mad?"

"Yeah, yeah, oh, you opened your mouth, you spoke. I get it, you want me locked in a room with tape over my mouth because you have to control every goddamned aspect of every plan we've ever had."

"Don't go saying that I have complete control, you do shit too."

"That you then get mad at me for, so what am I supposed to do, huh?" Chris said. "You just want me for your lackey. That's it. You want me as your fucking puppy-dog, ready to follow you to the ends of the earth. Well, face it, sweetheart, I've got a mind of my own and this mind is telling me I'm going to stay right here."

Chris sat down even further in his seat as if to prove the point that he wasn't going anywhere. Stephanie sucked at her teeth a little and her breath was fast but still even. She was quickly losing her temper with him, but she wanted to keep it in check, if you could call her demeanor at the moment "in check." To most people, she'd probably already lost her temper and was now heading straight towards rage.

"You could've given everything away to him in there and what if he'd not been such a stupid prick and figured it out?"

"He wasn't going to figure it out," Chris scoffed. "You're giving him _way_ too much credit. The guy couldn't figure out a way out of a paper bag."

"Oh yes, that's why he was wily enough to think that he could and did embezzle money."

"Except for the one little fact that we _caught_ him doing it and we're biding our time until we can have him put away."

"And what if you blow it _again_ and he figures out that we know and he skips the country, huh? Did you think about that?" Stephanie asked, tapping her foot as she stared at him. "What if he runs?"

"Then I will hunt him down and take care of him myself, where nobody can find him."

"Oh, brilliant, threats, great," Stephanie said. "You really just want to blow the whole thing for me, don't you? I want him in _jail_, rotting away his life or at least long enough to break his spirit while I rule the company."

"We."

"Yeah, it's not looking like we from where I'm standing right now, not with your constant slip of the tongue," Stephanie said. "You said that maybe I wasn't as dead as he thought. How could you say that to him? How could you even think to say to him?"

"I didn't blow anything, I was just saying."

"Oh, give me a break," she said with a scoff. "You want him to know, you want everyone to know about me. You want the plan to fail, that's what you want. You want me to just waltz out and say I'm Stephanie McMahon."

"I don't want that."

"Yes, you do, you do want that. You want Hunter to know it, you want Shane to know it, you want everyone to know it!" she yelled at him. She was not keeping her temper in any kind of check anymore. She barely knew what she was even saying. It just sounded good to her, this yelling. She hated keeping things in and she'd been keeping some arguments and concerns in and it was time those got addressed.

"No, I don't, I've always wanted what you've wanted, I've always done what _you_ want to do," Chris said, standing up now, ready to defend himself. When these two fought, it was always electric, like static formed a cocoon around them, sizzling and crackling as they fought.

"Then why would you say something so stupid, so idiotic?"

"Did it ever occur to you, Stephanie, that I didn't mean to say it?"

"You never not mean to say something, even if you blurt something out, your brain wanted you to say it. Plus you've got this entire stupid plan with Shane that I didn't want in the first place and now I've got to sit back and watch."

"It's for you, you stupid bitch!" Chris told her, stepping up to her. "It's all for you, don't you fucking see that everything I fucking do is for _you_? How do you not see that the only reason I care about this goddamn company is because you're in it, you want to run it!"

"I never asked you to do any of these things for me!"

"Bullshit," he said, "you're constantly asking me to do things for you, constantly. Yeah, I wanted you to get the revenge you deserve, I want that, but you have to fucking understand that I cannot let what he did to you pass!"

"I do understand! God, I've said I understand enough times, I've let you go through with your stupid little plan is because I fucking understand. Would you stop treating me like I don't understand what's going on in your head, you're my husband, of course I know what goes on in your head!"

"I don't think you do or you wouldn't be in my face right now," he said as she realized she had stepped so close to him that she was pretty much in your face. "What the fuck do you want me to do, huh? Do you want me to apologize for saying what I did because I'm not going to fucking apologize. That idiot wouldn't have figured it out, he's way too lost in his own delusional world. His brain is already off in whatever vault his money is in. He's not going to be a worry."

"But he could have."

"He didn't."

"Do you get how bad it would be if he caught on to what we know!"

"He won't!"

"You don't know that! You're going to blow everything!"

"I am not! God, would you just shut your fucking mouth for two seconds! Let me do what I have to do, you worry about what you have to do, okay, and what I have to do is beat your brother until he's a bloody mess and taken to the hospital."

"Yeah, because I'm just going to let you go off and do that when you'd probably rather _kill_ him in the ring!"

"I'm not going to kill him! I'd rather see him rot too, I'd rather see him suffer in a more permanent way, killing is way too good for him, _way_ too good!"

"Fine, go, go train or whatever," she said, shoving him away. "Next time, you're going to blow it, I know it, I better start running again so nobody finds out where I am once you let it slip again because you'll probably slip up again."

Chris grabbed her by the arm and turned her around sharply. "Take that back."

"Hell no," Stephanie said. "I'll take it back when you take what you said earlier back, oh wait, you can't, already said it, so no, I'm not taking it back."

"Take it back," Chris growled.

"No, I'm not taking anything back. This was probably just the first of your many fuck-ups," Stephanie told him, sneering at him. "You really do just want people to know that you married Stephanie McMahon, you want everyone to know, I can't trust someone like that, sorry, Chris, maybe I should go find someone who keeps their damn mouth shut about important things."

"You're not going anywhere."

"What the hell are you going to do, Chris? Are you going to go squeal that I'm Stephanie so that I can't even go out anymore, so I'll have to go back to Hawaii and hide out again, so you can have all the power? Leave me the hell alone, I can do better than you."

"Shut up," he said, kissing her roughly. Stephanie kissed him back almost immediately, but she just chalked that up to instinct. Not breaking the kiss though, that was all her. Sometimes their tempers just got the better of them. "Just shut your damn mouth," he said, pulling away and then ripping her shirt open.

"You shut up," Stephanie said as Chris palmed her breasts through her bra. "You're the one who's about to blow it."

"I'm not blowing it!" Chris said and his eyes were flashing and now she was just trying to get on his nerves because when she did, he became all the more passionate and well, maybe that had been her intention all along.

"I think you are," she said, even as she moaned as his fingers found their way inside her bra and were now teasing the skin on the underside of her breast.

"Shane is not going to know anything because he's a goddamn idiot," Chris said, his lips brushing against her neck. There was a knock at the door and Chris cursed under his breath as Stephanie pulled her shirt together, checking to see if Chris had ripped off any buttons.

Chris opened the door to a couple of officers and he looked at them strangely. "Yes?"

"Chris Jericho, Greenwich PD, we're going to need to take you in."


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I don't know why, but I always have trouble with this story. I mean, I have the ideas, but the words don't flow, but I'll try to be better about it and sorry about the lack of updates. I hope you like this chapter and review if you want to. :)

* * *

"What?"

Stephanie pushed her way past Chris and to the officers. "Excuse me, you can't take him away, you can't arrest him, he didn't do anything wrong!"

"Ma'am, we're not arresting him," the officer told her. "We just want to take him in for some questioning."

"Regarding what?" Chris asked, looking towards Stephanie. She looked like she was on the verge of bludgeoning these cops to death and then burying them in the yard. He was almost physically restraining her against him. If the situation weren't so serious, he would have laughed at her for actually showing him some care and emotion, especially after she had just wanted to rip his dick off.

"The attack on Mr. Shane McMahon."

"Shane?" Chris asked. That little bastard. He'd punched him _once_ in the jaw. Sure, he'd roughed him up a little, but the little shit deserved it after what he said about Stephanie. Chris's fists were even clenching right now as he thought about it. He couldn't believe he would charge him for this.

"Yes," the officer said. "We're going to need to take you into questioning."

"You can't take him!" Stephanie said again, her drawl nearly accentuated to comical levels.

"We have a warrant, ma'am," he said. "Please don't make me do this the hard way. If you'll just come with me."

"No!" Stephanie yelled.

"Ma'am, please do not make me take you in as well."

"Stephanie, it'll be fine," Chris told her gently, looking at her with those eyes of his. They pierced into her and she stood there as the officer led him out the door and presumably downstairs to his squad car. Stephanie just stood there for a moment, contemplating what had happened.

She knew, rationally, she should be mad at Chris because he had gotten himself into this situation. Of _course_ her brother would pull some stupid stunt to get Chris put into jail. Her brother wasn't stupid, he knew that Chris was this biggest obstacle in getting the company. Chris _knew_ that he couldn't give things away, that he couldn't show feeling. This was what feeling got you, it got you sent to jail and it caused you to slip up. On the other hand, she was pissed off at her brother because he was the one lying. Assault? Attack? These were harsh words to use on what was so obviously neither one of those things. But this was Shane.

She needed to figure something out and she started to pace, but she couldn't…what was there to do really? What _could_ she do? Hell, she didn't even know what they were going to say to Chris or what they were going to do to him. Would he need bail, would he have to spend time in jail for doing nothing? She took a deep breath and calmed herself. What the fuck was she getting worried about anyways? She was Stephanie fucking McMahon and she was cool in every situation. She was not one to let her emotions get the better of her. She was the woman that faked her own goddamn death in order to get revenge on those who wronged her. She was no shrinking violet and she was not going to let this go without a fight.

Chris stayed silent while they drove. He knew anything he said could be implicated. The whole, "anything you say _can_ be used against you in a court of law" thing so he wasn't going to fall into their trap. He would call his lawyer from the police station and they would get this cleared up. He expected to be out of here by eight o'clock, maybe even earlier. They arrived at the police station and they took him to one of the interrogation rooms, a phone sitting on the table. They told him he could have his call to the lawyers and he called them up immediately. After waiting a while, a detective came in and sat with him.

"Hello, Mr. Jericho, I'm Detective Lussard. We want to make this go as easy as possible Mr. Jericho," the man said, looking down at the file. "What can you tell me about your relationship with Mr. Shane McMahon?"

"I think he's a little shit," Chris said, taking in the raised eyebrow of the detective.

"Do you care to elaborate?"

"How do you elaborate on a little shit?" Chris said nonchalantly. "He's always been a coward, a coward who beats women. Bet you didn't know that, did you, detective? I'm sure it's not on the little file you're looking at it."

"No, it's not."

"His sister," Chris said bitterly, "Stephanie. He beat her up a few times."

"Where is this sister?"

"Dead," Chris said. "Car accident, about a year and a half ago. She was terrified of him. She was my best friend and I hated him for doing it."

"So you were the one who attacked him then, as a way to get revenge for her, when you thought it would be most convenient."

"I argued with him earlier, hit him once in the jaw, I wouldn't call that attacking him. He was insulting his sister, spitting on her grave practically. I wasn't going to listen to him talk about her like that. So yeah, I punched him, but then I left and went back to my condo with my wife, who saw the entire thing."

"Mr. Jericho, that's not what I heard."

"Excuse me."

"Shane McMahon is in the hospital right now, he's been severely beaten, broken ribs, broken arm, face looks like hamburger."

"What?" Chris said, shaking his head. "No, no, I had _nothing_ to do with that."

"We've got a witness who says you did."

"I assure you, Detective, I punched the man once and that was all. You can ask my wife, she can be my alibi or whatever."

"We have on record a Miss…Alyssa Sullivan, who claimed that she saw you beating up Mr. McMahon in your company parking lot, leaving him after you beat him and getting into a car with your wife, whom did not see any of this."

"That's bullshit," Chris said, wanting to slam something. He couldn't believe Shane had that fucking bitch on such a tight rope.

"Unfortunately, we're going to have to book you for now," he said. "Are you sure, before I go get the paperwork started, that you don't want to tell me anything."

"I'll wait for my lawyers, thanks, can I make a call or are you going to throw me in the cell now?" Chris asked.

"You can make a call."

Chris watched the detective walk out and he grabbed the phone, dialing his house. He knew he was probably being watched so he was very careful not to look around or be suspicious. He had to let Stephanie know what was going on. If they had to, they would have to reveal that Shane was an embezzler. Shane was probably paying that girl insane amounts of money to do shit like this for him. He just wondered who the hell Shane had gotten to beat him the hell up. He figured it would be one of the bodyguards, someone he could pay off and someone who could get rid of any surveillance video. He'd have to get Stephanie to look into that. She was stealthy enough and her father would give her whatever she needed.

"Chris?" she asked breathlessly and for a moment, it felt very good to hear the concern in her voice. She so little had concern there, maybe it had never really been there, but it was nice to hear some emotion. She was so guarded most of the time, evil, malicious that he didn't get to see the personal side of her.

"Hey, it's me," he said, giving a quick glance around. "Shane was assaulted, they found him in the parking lot. They said there was a witness who saw it happen, who saw _me_ beat him up while you were waiting in the car."

"I never waited in the car, we got in together," she said.

"The witness was someone named, Alyssa Sullivan," Chris told her pointedly.

Stephanie didn't say anything. "Say no more."

She hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She checked herself out in the mirror, grabbed her checkbook and purse and headed out the door. She had to meet this little bitch for herself. She knew Chris would be handled and if it came to it, they could post bail to get him out for the time being. Stephanie was going to have a little chat with her. She drove straight to Titan, hoping that Alyssa would still be there. It was almost the end of the work day, but if she had to, she would find…wait…if she came into the building, surely someone had helped Shane get beat up. Someone on security, maybe, she thought, having the same thought process as Chris had earlier. She went inside and up to her father's office. His secretary was gone for the evening, but she'd seen her father's car still parked in the lot in his personal space so she knew he was here.

"Who is it?"

"Mary," she answered brightly.

"Come in," he said.

Stephanie pushed open the door and walked into the office. She looked around for security cameras and taking out a piece of paper, she jotted down, _Only call me Mary_, on it before surreptitiously passing it to her father. She nodded subtly towards the security camera and Vince understood. She sat down and pretended to be more distraught than she was. She was a little distraught and worried about Chris, but like hell she would show that worry on her face or anywhere else for that matter.

"What is it?" Vince asked.

"Chris has been arrested for attacking Shane McMahon and well, I was hoping that we could discuss this turn of events later, over dinner, perhaps?"

"I can go now," Vince said, noting that Stephanie seemed urgent to speak with him.

"Okay, but before we go," Stephanie wrote out a name on a piece of paper. "If I could find out where this employee lives, that would be great."

Vince took the paper and looked at the name. He recognized it from what Stephanie and Chris had told him about their investigation into Shane's embezzlement. Vince slid over to his computer and accessed the database, getting the name and putting it on the sheet of paper, not asking questions. He could ask those over their meal. He slid it back over to her and she put it in her purse, patting it slightly, knowing she would have someplace to visit.

"Let me escort you out," Vince said. They left the building and she rode with him to a nearby restaurant. When they were seated, he got to business. "What happened with Chris?"

"Shane set him up. They got into a fight this afternoon," Stephanie explained. "He was, Shane, I mean, he was talking about me, _me_ me and insulting me, the usual. Chris couldn't handle it, demanded he take it back and he wouldn't and he punched Shane, _once_. Shane said he would regret it, but we didn't think. Apparently someone else attacked Shane, I'm guessing someone on your security staff, someone with enough bulk to do the job and who knows where the security camera isn't."

"You think Shane would let himself get beat up, how badly?"

"I don't know, enough to be in the hospital I guess," she said. "And I wouldn't put it past him. Dad, the things he did to me…" She didn't want to discuss them and shook her head. "I just wouldn't put it past him. Anyways, he said there was a witness, the guy who was talking with Chris. That witness was Alyssa, the same Alyssa who has been sleeping with Shane and has been helping him fix the books. She's one of the thieves and he probably paid her off more to do this for him."

"I see, so the address."

"I'm going to talk to her, I'm going to make her disappear," Stephanie said.

"You aren't going to…"

"Dad," she said lowly, "I may be a lot of things, but a murderer isn't one of them. I may not live my life totally above the law, but I certainly know when to straddle the line. I'm not going to kill her, I'm going to pay her off. I'm going to get her to tell the _real_ truth of the story or at least that she didn't see anything."

"Why not the real truth?"

"I don't know, because I want to take down Shane _my_ way, not because he was an idiot."

"But you don't want Chris in jail, I'm guessing."

"No," she sighed. "I guess it has to be this way then."

"Plans change, Mary, I think you more than anyone should know that."

"I do," she said.

"So this one will just have to change."

"Either way though, I win."


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, sorry that it took me so long to update last time, but I got better this time. Hope you like the chapter and if you want to review, then I hope you will. :)

* * *

Something piqued Vince's interest when he was speaking to his daughter over dinner. She'd mentioned the things Shane had done to her. Now Vince knew that Shane had been less than kind to Stephanie, but he did not know the full extent. But he'd seen her eyes when they'd been speaking, when _she'd_ been speaking about what had happened and what she wouldn't talk about with him. Her eyes were green now due to contacts, but they were still his daughter's eyes and he still knew them. If she wasn't going to give him the information he needed, he was going to need to get it from outside sources.

"I'm his boss," Vince said haughtily as he tapped impatiently on the desk of the police station's receptionist. "I'm also the father of the reported victim."

"I don't think they're going to allow you to go in," the receptionist said, snapping her gum. "They're not just going to let you in to see him so you can beat him up or something."

"I'm not here for that," Vince said, "let me speak to an officer."

"Fine," she said, grabbing her phone and tapping a few buttons. "Lieutenant Ashlin, we have a Mr. Vince McMahon here to see the guy you have in custody, um, what's his name?"

"Chris Jericho."

"Oh yeah, Chris Jericho," she said. "Can he come back there?" Vince rolled his eyes as his finger tapping became more incessant. "Okay sir." She hung up the phone and looked back at him, "You can go back. They have him in the cell."

"Thank you," Vince said as he went back into the heart of the station. A man he could only assume was the Lieutenant came to meet him, offering his hand. Vince shook it. "I want to see Chris Jericho."

"What is this in regards to?"

"I'm his boss and he allegedly beat up my son, I want to speak with him."

"You can, through the bars," he told him and Vince nodded. He wasn't going to try and break him out of that's what they were thinking. He just needed answers to the questions that Stephanie had raised in his mind. He needed to know the extent of Stephanie wanting revenge on Shane. What exactly had happened?

Another officer escorted him to where they kept the prisoners. A few cells down from a couple drunks trying to sleep their way to sobriety, Chris was sitting, leaning his head against the gray stone wall, looking up at the ceiling. The officer barked at him and Chris looked to his right and his eyes widened then narrowed as he looked at Vince. He stood up and walked over, leaning his arms through the bars. Then he glanced over at the officer, who stepped away a few paces, enough so that his presence was known, but far enough away to give them a little privacy.

"So I spoke with your wife," Vince started.

"Oh, I see," Chris said. "What did you two speak about?"

"Well, she was had some errands to run," Vince said pointedly and Chris nodded slowly, understanding that she had told him about the plan with Alyssa. "But this isn't what I came here to talk to you about."

"It's not?" Well now Chris was curious. "What's it about then?"

"It was about something Mary said while we were talking. It was about something she said about Shane and Stephanie, about what happened between Shane and Stephanie. I thought her choice of words was quite curious and I wanted to discuss it with you."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Chris said.

Stephanie had made it clear that she didn't want anyone to know what happened with Shane. Chris often wondered what she would be like if she hadn't been attacked by Shane. Would she be as conniving as she was? Maybe, but he believed she wouldn't have been so distrustful. Even now, Stephanie had huge trust issues. He'd not even looked at another woman, had never given her any intonation that he wanted to be with anyone but her, but he always got the distinct feeling that she was waiting for him to leave her completely by herself.

He knew Stephanie loved him as much as she loved her, but because she couldn't trust explicitly, she kept everything guarded. He wasn't going to try to break down her defenses because that would be asking Stephanie to change her entire being and he didn't want that. He just had to understand her, believe that she did love him and coax what he could out of her. He was fine with that, but he still hated Shane for what he'd done to her. But he loved Stephanie enough to keep his mouth shut.

"If anyone knows anything about it, it would be you," Vince told him. "You knew Stephanie better than anyone. What happened?"

"What did Mary say to you? I'm sure that whatever it was, was just you misconstruing her words," Chris told him and he was kind of glad a set of bars separated him from Vince right now. He recognized the fire in the older man's eyes because it was the same one Stephanie had when she wanted something and wanted it bad enough to do anything for it.

"She said the things Shane did to Stephanie, the things he did to her, what are these_ things_, Chris?"

"He was just a horrible brother to her is all," Chris shrugged. "You know, teased her, the normal big brother thing."

Vince didn't believe Chris and Chris knew Vince didn't believe him. They were at a standstill. If Chris was willing to cover it up so expertly then it had to be something bad or something big. Stephanie wasn't one to not tell things that she could use to her advantage, but whatever this Shane business was, it was big enough for her not to use it in her mode of revenge. And Stephanie seemed very willing to use everything and anything to get her revenge. He didn't want to start thinking things, but they were already creeping in his brain and as they crept, his anger rose higher and higher.

"I don't think that's what it is," Vince said lowly.

Chris kept that nonchalant look, "I'm sure it is."

"I'm sure it isn't," Vince said, tilting his head down to look at his son-in-law. "What did my son do to my daughter, Chris? I know that if it's something bad, something terrible that you feel as much anger as I'm feeling right now. I bet it burns you inside to think about, doesn't it?"

It did. It burned Chris so bad sometimes he thought he might combust because of it, but he couldn't let the secret out, couldn't let _her_ secret out. "I just hate Shane for putting me in here, Vince."

"Chris, Mary wouldn't have to know that you told me," Vince said, trying to entice the information out of him. "It could just be between the two of us. Something that we only know about."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Vince," Chris told him. "I really don't know where Mary would come up with that. Maybe she's just trying to nail Shane to the wall for putting me in here. If she did know anything, I'm sure she wouldn't have said anything."

"Chris, this is my daughter we're talking about, if something had happened to her, I would want to know, I would _need_ to know," Vince said.

"There's nothing to know."

"Chris, if I know what's going on, then the both of us could exact a measure of revenge on Shane and nobody would have to know about it. It could just be between the both of us, something against Shane. Doesn't that sound good? We could do whatever we wanted with him."

It was enticing. It sounded so nice, getting a measure of real revenge on Shane. It was true, Stephanie probably wouldn't have to know, but then, he'd promised her he wouldn't say anything. He promised her that the revenge they got would be business, not personal. She had the strength to ignore the attacks or at least put them out of mind. He couldn't do the same, but he could keep them from Vince. He could keep his promise.

"Not interested."

"Did he hit her?" Vince asked. Chris cringed, just the slightest bit, but Vince was an observant bastard and picked up on it immediately. "He hit her."

"I didn't say that," Chris said, but knew he was probably caught. He just hoped Stephanie wouldn't kill him.

"You didn't have to," Vince said. "When did this happen?"

"Never as far as I know."

"Quit with the bullshit, Chris, I know now. He hurt her, I just need to know the extent of the hurt."

"And if he did? What are you going to do, Vince?" Chris asked, lowering his voice. "What can you do that isn't already being done as it is? Mary is running her errand and we've got Shane right where we want him. The company is already going to me anyways so even if he did do something to Stephanie, it's in the past, Stephanie is dead."

"She's still my daughter, she'll always be my daughter, if someone hurt her, even in the past, even after she's dead, I'm going to want to know about it and I'm going to want to do something about it, whatever that person says or thinks is not what _I_ will choose to do or say or think. If Shane has hurt my daughter than Shane is going to pay for hurting my daughter."

"Then it's probably good we don't know he hurt your daughter."

"Oh you know," Vince said. "Just how much you know, I don't know, but it stands to reason that you know everything, how bad it was, how often it was and to the extent that it was. My daughter was sweet and kind, Chris, then something changed her. You probably didn't know her before that changed, but I've spent the better part of the last several years wondering just what this change was. I think I have the answer now and I don't like what's staring back at me and if I can help it, I'm going to do something about it. I know enough to know that he hurt my daughter. If you don't want to help me…"

"Things are already in motion," Chris said. "We're getting what we want, I have nothing to do with whatever you want to do."

"I can't believe you wouldn't want the revenge."

Chris sighed. He _did_ want the revenge. "Just let me get him in the ring, that's all I want. You put me in the ring with him, no holds barred and Shane and I will be even."

"I know you loved my daughter-"

"So what? She's not here anymore."

"She may not be, but love doesn't just fade away," Vince said pointedly, "neither does hate."

Chris would get Shane in the ring and that's where he would get his revenge. "I don't have anything to offer you, Vince."

"Very well," Vince said, turning to the officer. "I think I'm ready to leave now. I'll see you, Chris, when you get out of here."

"You will, Vince," Chris nodded as he went back to sit on the bench.

Stephanie ran her hands through her hair. She got out of her car and walked to the condo she was parked across from. It was a cute place, something that wasn't too flashy and didn't scream that you were accepting stolen money. Quaint. Stephanie had her business to attend to though and she was going to get what she wanted, just like she usually did. She walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened slightly and Alyssa looked out at her with trepidation.

"Can I help you?" she asked, not opening the door any further.

"Yes, Alyssa, I'd like to talk business."


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. I really like this chapter so I hope that you like it as well. If you want to review, I'd love it if you did. Enjoy! :)

* * *

"Who are you?"

"My name is Mary, I'm Chris Jericho's wife, you remember him, right?" Stephanie said in her sweetest voice, one that hid well the venom she was actually feeling towards this woman. This woman was the reason her husband was sitting in jail and she knew that this woman had lusted after her husband as well.

"Oh yes, um, yeah," Alyssa said. "I remember you. I'm sorry, I'm kind of busy right now, I can't really see anyone."

"I think you're going to want to see me," Stephanie charmed her. "I definitely think you will, Alyssa, because I know exactly what's going on around here. I think it would be in your best interest to see me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but you better leave before I call the cops and they put you into jail next to your husband."

"That's not going to happen."

"Just leave me alone," Alyssa insisted, starting to push the door closed, but Stephanie put her perfectly manicured hand right on the doorway and pushed it open further. "I'm calling the cops!"

Alyssa turned and started to walk into the house, leaving Stephanie in the doorway. Stephanie calmly opened her purse and rooted around, trying to find what she needed. She found it in the first pocket and pulled it out. She followed Alyssa into her kitchen and watched silently as the woman looked around for her phone and, spotting it, picked it up and started to dial, her back to Stephanie.

_"Money, it's always about the money, right, isn't that what makes the world go round, money, money, money…"_

_"Yeah, so where did he want this money."_

_"He steals it, but shh, you can't tell anyone. He only does it in small amounts sometimes, but then it builds up and he gave me a raise to keep it a secret, so shh, be quiet, Chris."_

_"Oh, I'll be quiet. So he embezzles it and you help him?"_

_"Uh huh, and then we fuck, fuck, fuck. Now you can fuck me too and you don't even have to give me a raise."_

_"How about I take you home?"_

"Sound familiar?" Stephanie asked.

Alyssa's fingers hovered over the phone and then she pulled her hand away slowly, putting the phone back down on the counter. "What is that?"

"Well, it seems to me that it's _you_ talking about how you fuck Shane McMahon and then help him steal money from the company and all for what has to be a bad lay and a few extra dollars," Stephanie told her as if she didn't know what it was.

"How did you get that?"

"I've known what Shane has been doing and what _you've_ been doing. I'd say that this was proof of Shane's guilt. I'd think this would be a juicy little piece of evidence in your trial for when you get sent to jail for embezzling because even though Shane is doing the stealing, so are you, sweetheart and if you think he's going to take the fall for you, you're sorely mistaken."

"Shane loves me, he's told me!" Alyssa exclaimed. "He would never let me go to jail!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Stephanie laughed sarcastically. "You cannot believe that he _actually_ loves you. The only thing Shane loves is the power. He would no sooner dump your ass if you even suggested stopping what you two have been doing."

"No, no, he's not like that, you don't know him," Alyssa shook her head even as the truth was starting to sink in. She could go to jail. She'd never even thought of that. The plan seemed so foolproof; she and Shane would get enough money to live on and then they would skip the country. That was the plan. She was going to be Mrs. Shane McMahon and they'd be happy.

"I _do_ know him, more than you could ever imagine," Stephanie said, wishing she could reveal who she was. Alyssa had probably never even seen her before though. "I know what he's all about. He was stealing from his father. He wanted everything and now he's put my husband into jail because my husband has gotten too much and Shane doesn't like it."

"Your husband beat him to within an inch of his life!" Stephanie started walking slowly towards Alyssa, causing her to back up into her counter. "Stay away from me!"

"We both know that my husband wasn't anywhere near Shane, don't we, Alyssa?" Stephanie said, tilting her chin down and staring fiercely at the other woman. She could see Alyssa gulp and she had the girl right where she wanted her. "Don't make this hard on yourself because there _is_ a hard way in all of this."

"You can't do anything to me, I'll call Shane and-"

"You won't call Shane," Stephanie told her.

"I will and he'll kill you."

"Didn't you say he was beaten to within an inch of his life, how in God's name is he going to protect you now?" This seemed to prompt the fear to come full force into Alyssa's eyes and she backed up further against the counter though Stephanie had pulled away. "Now, Alyssa, I'm not here to make veiled threats all afternoon. I came here for a very specific purpose and that was to help my husband and to help you."

"Me?"

"I know Shane McMahon. If you ever stepped out of line, he'd probably hit you. He's done it before. You know what he used to do with his sister? He beat her, kicked her in the stomach so hard that she bruised for over a week. She had to get checked out by a doctor, did you know that? The doctor thought there could have been damage to her, internal damage."

"How do you know all this? It could be lies!"

"I was close with his sister, we were like best friends," Stephanie said. "She told me about how scared she was at the doctor's, how he told her that she might not be able to have children and how he asked what had happened and she lied for that scum, lied and said she took a nasty fall, but she didn't. It was just her brother, her sick, twisted brother. I guess it worked out for her in the end since she ended up dying anyways, but he scared the living shit out of her."

"I didn't know her."

"I know," Stephanie said. "He'll treat you the same way, maybe worse since he claims to 'love' you. Now what I want to do is save you from that very situation."

"I don't need saving," Alyssa said.

"I'm thinking of a monetary savior…as an accountant, I'm sure you know what that is."

"Money?"

"Very good, you earned that college degree, I see," Stephanie told her. "I'm willing to pay you off to get the hell out of dodge so to speak, but not before you retract your statements about my husband because we _both_ know he didn't do anything."

"I love Shane."

Stephanie sighed, "You really _do_ want to make this difficult, don't you?"

"You're lying about him, I just know it!" Alyssa insisted. Shane had been so sweet to her. He made love to her, they didn't fuck like she'd said on that tape, they made love. Shane was good to her, he would always be good to her. But then…she remembered the tape itself. She wasn't stupid; she knew that embezzling carried its penalties. They'd taught her that in ethics class, but Shane had been so persuasive and his plan so solid she thought she'd never get caught and it was her own self that'd slipped up. But still, that recording wasn't proof.

"You'll go to jail then, okay?" Stephanie shrugged, sticking the tape back in her purse.

"You can't use that!"

"I have the books and the discrepancies as well, all in your hand with your signature, do you think that would hold up?"

Shit. Alyssa looked down. She was caught. "How much would you be willing to pay me?"

"That's a good girl," Stephanie said. "A million."

"A million _dollars_?"

"No, a million pennies," Stephanie scoffed, "of course a million dollars. But this would mean that you retract the eyewitness account on Chris, say that it never happened and that Shane had someone beat him up. In return, you get out of jail time and you split the country before the house of cards Shane thinks he's built has crumbled down in front of him."

"You're going to…"

"Send him to jail, yes, when the time is right," Stephanie said.

"Oh," Alyssa said.

"Don't worry, I'll give you plenty of time to leave the country. You can probably go to Canada, I hear it's lovely up there or Europe," Stephanie said, wondering how dense this woman could be to just accept a million dollar payout. That was nothing to her and nothing in the grand scheme of things. "When the truth about Shane comes out, there will be people looking for you so you're better off laying low."

"Yeah," she said, looking around her place, thinking of everything she'd have to leave behind. Her friends, her family. "And if I didn't go."

"Jail."

"Shane and I are planning-"

"Did he ever actually plan anything out? Is the account in your joint names?"

"He said that would be too risky," she explained.

"Oh yes, too risky, but what if _you_ needed the cash? There'd be no way for you to access it, no way for you to even verify that you knew Shane McMahon. I suggest you take my offer and run with it. I know Shane, believe me."

"Okay," she said after pondering it a moment. "Okay, I'll take it."

"Wonderful," Stephanie said. "And as a warning, not one word of this gets to Shane because then I _will_ get angry and there _will_ be repercussions and they won't be pretty and I don't want to see someone as cute as you turn into someone's prison bitch."

"Prison bitch?" she asked uneasily.

"It's rough, sweetheart," Stephanie told her with a sad nod.

"I won't tell him," Alyssa said. "I'll just leave."

"Good," Stephanie said. She went through her purse again and grabbed a pen. "Just give me your account number and your bank and I'll have my business manager wire the money between the accounts right now."

"Really? Right now?"

"Well, no, not all of it, I should have clarified. You'll get 10% of it right now. Then, when you're settled wherever you are and I find out you haven't contacted my brother, you'll get the rest of it, deal?" Stephanie stuck out her hand.

"Deal," Alyssa said, shaking Stephanie's hand. "And you're sure I won't go to jail."

"I'm positive," Stephanie said.

"Why are you doing this? I mean, what did Shane ever do to you?"

"I made Stephanie a promise that I would take care of Shane," Stephanie told her. "I intend to keep that promise. I'll be seeing you soon, Alyssa."

"Okay," she said, nodding and looking down.

Stephanie walked out of the house and closed the door behind her. She took once glance back and started walking towards her car. At the last moment, she made a sharp left and headed towards another car where a man was sitting. She stopped next to the driver's window, which was rolled down and she glanced both ways and towards Alyssa's house before she leaned down into the window.

"It went down, Vic," she told the man and he nodded.

"So…"

"Monitor her," she said, slipping some cash into his hand. "Were you able to get the bug onto her phone while I had her in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, she had one upstairs, put it in that one and the stupid bitch left her cell phone, got a tracker on that too now." Stephanie couldn't believe how easy it had been, but Vic was good at what he did. Stephanie had kept up her part of the plan, keeping Alyssa in one place while Vic searched the rest of her house. He'd already gotten her office phone so unless she had a secret phone, they had all lines of communication tied up. Stephanie wasn't naïve enough to think that Alyssa might break and if that happened, well, then Alyssa really would have to disappear, but this time by force. Stephanie had given her the choice for now.

"Perfect, so just watch her now."

"I got it, boss."

"And if she trips up, you let me know."


	33. Chapter 33

"You're free to go."

"I am?" Chris asked, looking up from the bench he'd been sitting on.

"You made bail," the officer nodded at him. Chris nodded back and stood up, grabbing the envelope of his personal effects they'd confiscated from him when he'd been arrested. He followed the officer down the corridor where Stephanie was signing the release papers. She looked up at him, a shot of grace, and then signed the last of the papers, sliding them across the tables to the officer taking care of the paperwork.

"The DA will be in touch with you," the officer behind the desk said. "You're not allowed to leave the state until the investigation is over. It's all there in the papers that were signed."

Chris nodded slowly as Stephanie took his hand and they walked out of the police station, "Thanks for coming to get me, part of me always thinks that you'll just let me rot so you can run off with some younger man."

She scoffed, "Nobody could keep up with me."

"Where have you been? I've been sitting in that damn cell for what seems like forever," Chris said, "do you have any idea how much it sucks sitting in a jail cell that smells like stale urine?"

"No, nor do I plan to, but we should have invited Shane down so he could get used to it," Stephanie said, "I was taking care of things to ensure that whatever this is, gets dropped."

"What were you doing?"

"We can't talk about it here in the open," Stephanie said, "you never know where there are prying eyes and listening ears. The thing is, I'm not entirely sure who Shane has on his payroll so to speak. I know who's on our side and that's all I know."

"Okay," he said, slightly confused. They got into Stephanie's car and drove back to their place. When they were safely inside, she locked the door behind her. The entire car ride had been spent in silence, neither one of them speaking. Chris wasn't because Stephanie wasn't and Stephanie wasn't because she didn't know if anything could be trusted anymore.

"It's safe here, I had someone do a sweep of the place, there are no bugs."

"Bugs, like listening devices?" Chris asked.

"Keep up, Chris," Stephanie told him. "We can't trust Shane not to do something like that anymore. He upped the game with what he did today and so I can't put it past him that he at least suspects that you're going to get the company. We don't know who he has on the inside. I know that he's angry about the match that you two are going to have or might have at this point, but I think it's deeper than that. I'm wondering if someone tipped him off that my dad is giving you the company when he retires and he's trying to get you out of the picture."

"That would be something Shane would do."

"Yes, I know and if he is, I wouldn't put it past him to bug our place," Stephanie said, "so I took precautions and had someone do a sweep of it and it's good. I guess he wasn't as smart as I thought. Since he's in the hospital, I had his place bugged."

"You sure got a lot of things done while I was in jail," Chris said, sitting down on the couch. "Now I'm a hardened criminal and I haven't seen a woman in ages, care to have some 'just got out of prison' sex?"

"Is sex the only thing you think of?" she asked in disgust. "I'm trying to take down my brother here and you're trying to get in my pants, do you not see what's wrong with this picture?"

Chris stood up and walked over to Stephanie, lightly fingering her jacket before taking it off and rounding his arms around her waist, "You think too much for me. You need to just lighten up a little bit. We can take Shane down after we have some fun, don't you like to have fun with me?"

"I went to meet with Alyssa," Stephanie said, turning around in Chris's arms, ignoring his advances. There were more pressing issues at the moment and she couldn't deal with her husband's horniness when she still had so much to think about.

"You did?"

"I paid her off, so you won't be going to jail and I doubt you'll even be going to trial. Without Alyssa's 'testimony' it becomes a he said/he said type of thing and my father has already got the best lawyer, plus, I've got witnesses of my own who would be willing to testify against Shane that you were even there," Stephanie explained to him.

"You paid her off?" he asked, only gleaning onto that part of her little diatribe. "How much?"

"The silly, little idiot took a million dollar pay-off. She's going to call off her testimony and then she's going to skip the country. I promised her that if she called it off and took the money, I'd give her time to get away before Shane gets arrested for embezzling and she gets caught as his accomplice."

"And you're just going to let her go, just like that? You're going to let her skip the country when she had a huge part in what your brother is doing?" he asked incredulously. He couldn't believe Stephanie would let anyone get away with anything. She was so thorough when she wanted to get back at someone. Hell, they'd gotten revenge on every single person responsible for tearing them apart and she'd done it with cool calculations and precision.

"I don't have bones with her," Stephanie dismissed the other woman. "Sure, she was in on it, but she really didn't do anything except help Shane with the books and then fuck him on the side. Besides, don't you think a life on the run _is_ punishment enough? The girl can never come back here. I've paid a hefty sum to make sure that she doesn't either. I had Vic bug her apartment and her phones are tapped so if she even gets in contact with Shane, I'll know it and then further procedures can be taken."

"You seem like you've got it all under control," he told her.

"Of course I do, do you think that I'm going to let Shane get away with this? He's out of his mind if he thinks that I would…wait, he thinks I'm dead so he probably thinks that I'm just some worried wife who is dithering around at home, knitting or something."

"I don't think anyone thinks that, even if they do think you're some Southern belle named Mary."

"Either way, he doesn't think I'm capable, hell, I don't think he thought I was capable when I was legally alive," Stephanie said with a sigh. "He clearly didn't."

Chris was just then reminded of his conversation with Vince and the outcome of that conversation. Though he'd not revealed anything that had transpired between Shane and Stephanie, Vince wasn't a stupid man. It was a short leap from that conversation to knowing that Stephanie had suffered at the hands of Shane. And with Vince knowing just what Shane was capable of and loving his daughter fiercely, Chris could only begin to assume what Vince might do to Shane knowing that he had hurt Stephanie. So now there was another problem he'd have to deal with.

"We may have another problem on our hands," Chris said slowly.

"What?" she asked. "Believe me, Chris, I've got everything covered…except maybe the security guard who _actually _beat Shane up. I'm hoping to get a peek at the security tapes. I know that Shane did it out of the camera view, but I'm hoping that there's a camera they overlooked. I'll have to do it after hours though because I don't know exactly who the security guard is or if has friends. I mean, I can find out who it was, but you know, I'll handle it."

"I'm not talking about that, you talked to your dad earlier, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Your dad came to see me while I was in jail."

"My dad, why would he do that? Oh my God, what if Shane knows that he went to see you? He could think that my dad is in on it. I didn't tell him to go see you!"

"He just said that he wanted to see me because he was my boss; that was on the up and up. It was what we talked about that was the problem that we might have. What did you say to your dad exactly?"

"I don't remember, just what Shane had done I guess, what Shane was going to do maybe. The day has been a really big blur because I've been trying to set up everything so that Shane doesn't have a case against you, why, what did my dad say?"

"I think he knows about what Shane did to you," Chris told her slowly. Stephanie didn't get it for a moment, but then her gray eyes sparked with recognition. Her breath hitched for just a moment and just for that tiny second, he saw a fear within Stephanie's eyes that he could only attribute to a flashback of the moment Shane had first laid his hand on her.

"Did you tell him what happened?" Stephanie asked, her voice losing its usual harsh edge.

"No, I didn't tell him anything. I feigned ignorance, but he could see through me," Chris said, disgusted with himself. "I don't know what he's going to do, but I figure that he knows or at least guesses what Shane did to you. I swear I didn't say anything."

Stephanie nodded, assessing the situation. "I believe you. Well, if he knows…"

"Steph…"

She turned her head away. "I never wanted him to find out. I never wanted anyone to find out. I never even wanted _you_ to find out. I thought I could keep it to myself. Damn it, I'm…I'm slipping."

"Stephanie, you're not slipping," Chris told her.

"He was just supposed to know Shane was embezzling, nothing else!"

"So what if he knows, everyone should know what an absolute jackass your brother is! Everyone should know what he did to you, I wish they did. I'm sick if your brother looking like he isn't the bastard motherfucker that he is!"

"What happened is _my_ business, not anyone else's."

"Well it's my business too!"

"Look, I appreciate the fact that you care about me-"

"Why must you make everything out like it's business?" he asked her, gripping her by the shoulders. "I'm not asking you for romance, Stephanie, I've never wanted that nor do I ever want that, but can you please acknowledge that I love you and care about what happens to you."

"I know you do, I do the same," she said, ducking her head. He leaned forward and kissed her and she relaxed considerably, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I just want to make sure that we nail Shane to the wall. What he did to me was bad enough, but trying to drag you into this like he has, well, that's the last straw for me. He can mess with me, but he can't mess with you."

"Well thank you for that, it's nice to know you have a little bit of humanity left in there," he said, brushing his hand over her heart.

"Only for you," she said, "so what are we going to do about my father? I really don't want him to know about anything that happened. We've got to neutralize my father, that's the first thing we need to do. We'll put everything else on hold."

"Okay, but how do you suppose we do that. He's going to know if we're lying or not."

"Maybe so, but we'll just have to try and lie our way through this. Come on, Chris, who lies better than the two of us?" Stephanie asked.

"Nobody."

Vince hardly smoked. He'd quit over 20 years ago, but every now and then, he felt the need to break the rules and have a cigarette. Today felt like one of those days. He knew Chris was lying. He knew Chris was lying to his face and he knew that Stephanie, if asked, would lie to his face as well. He loved his daughter and her husband, but he also knew how ruthless they could be. They'd kept whatever was going on a well-kept secret. But secrets eventually came out. His phone rand and he picked it up.

"Did you find it?"

"Yes," the voice on the other end said.

"What did you find out?"

"There was an instance where Stephanie went to the doctor's for extensive bruising across the abdomen and a slight fracture of the orbital bone that didn't require surgery. She said it was from wrestling, but the doctor noted that the bruises appeared to be from a shoe. I assume she told them she was stomped in the ring." Vince couldn't hear anymore and cut him off before he could tell him anymore.

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know."


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, enjoy the chapter, review if you please! :)

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Vince was the one that called the meeting.

He wanted to confront Stephanie and Chris about the allegations about Shane's abuse of Stephanie. He knew that if he asked point blank, his daughter and her son-in-law would lie their asses off. They were liars, he was a liar, everyone is living some kind of lie. But he could read people. You didn't get as powerful as he did without reading people. He could call a bluff from a mile away. It was why he knew that Chris was lying about Stephanie and Shane and when it came to it, it would be how he knew that Stephanie was lying to him.

"Vince, you wanted to see us," Chris said, "I'm not sure why you needed to see my wife, but okay."

Vince's secretary was still standing at the door so Chris kept up the pretense that Stephanie was Mary and not at all related to Vince. "I wanted to talk to both of you about the plans I have for the future of the company and since you are getting some control, I figured your wife should hear it as well considering she is your wife."

"Fair enough," Chris responded as Vince gestured for his secretary to leave. She closed the door behind her and then invited Chris and Stephanie to sit down.

"It's nice to see you _out_ of jail," Vince mused to his son-in-law.

"Yeah, I'm really liking the sweet taste of freedom I've been getting," Chris said sarcastically, "so what is this really about?"

"Well, this is about what Shane tried to pull, putting you into jail. Have you figured out a way to get out of it, implicate him or anything like that? I want to be kept abreast of the situation, especially since it involves both my kids."

"Well, his accomplice has been paid off and she should be packing up her things to go out of the country any day now," Stephanie said, "one of the pluses of Shane getting himself beat up is that he can't drop by the little bitch's house and see that she's packing up. Chris had insurance call up the doctor to see how he was doing and he's in there for a couple days. I told Alyssa that she needed to get out and get out now, she's listening."

"Good, but don't you think you would need her for the embezzlement trial?"

"Chris had a great idea," Stephanie sent an adoring glance at Chris before reaching her hand across the seat and taking hold of his hand. "Alyssa has so kindly confessed to her part of the crime and upon my word, she will be sending that confession to the police."

"How will you know where she is?" Vince asked.

"You think I'm sending her off into the world and not having someone tail her?" Stephanie gave a short laugh. "I'm paying very good money to have her followed, when the time is right, I contact my contact and he will contact Alyssa and he won't be too kind about it. Plus, if she so much as thinks about calling Shane, then I have someone to tell me and she gets her money taken away."

"How did you get her to agree to send in a confession in the first place?" Vince was impressed with his daughter's prowess, but he shouldn't have been. Stephanie was always too smart for her own good. She always thought of both sides of the coin.

"An extra 50,000, the lazy cow doesn't even realize what I'm worth," Stephanie rolled her eyes. "As for Shane, one thing Chris and I wanted to do was come in after hours to check out the security cameras. We know that Shane was mostly off-camera, but there are so many security cameras, we're hoping he missed one and if he didn't, we're hoping to catch the guy that actually beat him up and him go into the same area. It'll at least lend credence to Chris's innocence."

"She thinks of everything, doesn't she?" Chris said, noting the look on Vince's face at his daughter's handling of the situation.

"She does."

"I can't afford not to," Stephanie told the both of them, but she was secretly proud that they both knew she was in charge. It was just how she liked it. Both men knew they were wrapped around her finger, but Stephanie took great pride in the fact. She was used to getting what she wanted and it just happened to be by any means necessary. "Once this little assault thing is dropped, I can go back to focusing on getting back at Shane the right way and having my little fun at Hunter's expense."

"Oh yes, I forgot about him," Vince chuckled.

"I haven't," Stephanie said, "never again after what he tried to pull with Chris and I. I can't forgive for him that, I never will. I trusted him, I trusted him more than I'd trusted anyone except for Chris and maybe even a little more than Chris at the time and he used that against me, tried to break my friendship up and then try to change me into some little, doting housewife. No, believe me, I haven't forgotten, I don't forget."

Vince thought he saw an opening there and decided to take it, "Which is why Shane has to pay?"

"Of course, making it sound like Chris assaulted him, like I wouldn't retaliate, well, I guess he would know, but I am."

"Because he deserves it."

"More than deserves it," Stephanie spat out.

"Sounds like this is about a lot more than any attempted assault to frame Chris. You've been holding this grudge over your brother for a long time," Vince bit the inside of his cheek to keep from blurting out that he suspected, very _strongly_ suspected that Shane had been the one doing the assaulting on Stephanie. He wanted confirmation, solid confirmation from his daughter this had happened. Just once, he'd love for Stephanie to open up to him.

"He's been a jerk his whole life, you may be his father, but you can't tell me that you haven't noticed it, right?" Stephanie said coolly. "I just want to get him back for all those years of torment."

Vince noticed that Chris gave Stephanie a squeeze of the hand, but he pretended like he didn't see it. "Years of torment?"

"Being my big brother, but also just being a horrible jerk. He's a horrible jerk and he should pay for everything that he's done."

"What is _everything_ that he's done, Stephanie?" Vince looked at her, stared really, his gaze unmoving and unchanging. His face was calm, Stephanie could see it was calm, but she could also see the fury that was right beneath the surface.

Chris had been right when he'd said that her father suspected what had happened between her and Shane. And if she knew her father and she knew him well, he would go digging for the information on what happened on his own. It stood to reason that he knew already or at least the gist of what had gone down between her and Shane. Still, Stephanie had her pride and she wasn't ready to relinquish it. She didn't need the help then and she didn't need the help now. She wished that nobody knew about it, not even Chris.

She hated that anyone knew she was weak, if only for a moment. She hated the look that Chris gave her when he brought it up. She hated everything about that time in her life and she wanted to forget it, to lock Shane up and get the justice she'd deserved for years. Her father would probably want the same thing, but she wasn't willing to part with it. She'd only let Chris in because she loved him and because Chris always suspected, always kind of knew, somehow, because she could hardly keep much from the man that for some reason had stolen her heart.

"Like I said, he's been an asshole his whole life," Stephanie shrugged up her right shoulder.

Vince knew she wouldn't crack that easily, "Yes, I've been made aware that my son takes after me in the worst ways-"

"So do I," Stephanie was the first to admit that she hadn't turned out to be some little princess, but was instead something that most parents would not be proud of. She'd faked her own death after all, which had practically killed her mother. She was not blameless nor innocent.

"Except your unscrupulous behavior doesn't get people hurt," Vince was bold in that statement, staring down his daughter in a battle of wills where Chris was only left to be observer. Stephanie noticed his grip had tightened and she knew he wanted to say something, say everything, let loose a torrent of insults against her brother, finally show someone else just what kind of anger he had bottled inside of him in regards to Shane. She squeezed back, hard, letting him know that this was neither the time nor the place for such an obvious blow-up. Her father may be in on most things, but this was one thing that was being kept private.

"Doesn't it?" Stephanie said, "I've hurt plenty of people, everyone who dared to separate me and Chris, Hunter for betraying me, Shane. My behavior does hurt people."

"Touché," Vince conceded, "but I doubt you've physically touched anyone."

There it was, he knew, he knew there was something to be hidden. "Well, I don't know if Shane has gone that far."

"Don't you?" Now Vince was just boldly sticking his neck out there.

"I don't," she said to him, sitting up a little straighter.

Vince had to decide now. He had to decide whether or not he should tell what he knew. It was killing him. At the end of the day, when work was done, when he was alone in his house and had nothing to do but think, it occurred to him that Stephanie was still his daughter, still the little girl she had once been and she may be unscrupulous, cold, and hard now, but she wasn't always that way. She was once the warm, little girl who loved everything and everyone. He suspected Shane had to do with the change, was part of the reason his little girl could never live a normal life free of malice and revenge.

"The records don't seem to agree."

He'd made his choice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Stephanie said and if she wasn't his daughter, he might have believed her when she said that.

"I checked in on you, had someone look over your medical records. You were admitted into the hospital one day with excessive bruising along your midsection consist with the markings of a shoe and a fracture orbital bone. You said it was from wrestling, but we all know you don't wrestle."

"You had no right to investigate me," Stephanie told him, her voice showing no change whatsoever. "What happens to me is not your business."

"The hell it isn't," Vince snapped at her, "when my son sends my daughter to the hospital."

"It's in the past," Stephanie informed him, "nothing happened, you shouldn't have looked at my records."

"Cut the shit, Stephanie!" Vince roared. "I know what he did, he has to _pay_ for that."

"Shane is paying for the embezzlement," Stephanie told him calmly.

"Not for that, for this, for hurting you," Vince said, "that is what we do, we make people pay for what they've done!"

"Chris and I will be around, we're staying until after hours, the night security takes a short break around 1:30am. Chris and I will be looking at the security tapes from that day. Just to let you know."

"Stephanie."

"I've told you our plan, anything else has nothing to do with what's going on right now," Stephanie told him. "Whatever may or may not have happened, happened in the past and that has no bearing on what goes on now."

"This isn't how we work," Vince shook his head. "There has to be someone who pays for this."

What Vince didn't know was Stephanie was the one paying for it…every day of her life.


	35. Chapter 35

"Would it really hurt to tell your father?"

"Yes, it would hurt me and I don't think you want that, now do you…I mean, unless you want to _hurt_ me, but you know I'm always up for a little of that," she said suggestively as she leered at him from across the elevator.

Chris resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was becoming very apparent that Stephanie used overt sexuality to cover for the fact that she was hurt. She would never really discuss the incident with her brother, talk about the part that damaged her because it hurt too much, the wound was just way too deep. Whenever he did try to seriously bring it up, she would try to seduce him or try to initiate a fight. It was her way of coping, but it wouldn't work forever. He was scared that one day she would just completely break and he wasn't ready for that kind of Stephanie.

Chris didn't have scruples, not very many at least, but the one thing in this world that he gave a damn about was this woman. He wanted her safe and happy or as relatively happy as she could be. He loved her, so help him God did he love her and he wanted the best for her, always. He believed that telling Vince would only help, that telling someone else what happened might lessen the hurt, even if just for a little while. Yet, she was obstinate about it and he couldn't force her to do something she didn't want to do. He could never force her to do something she didn't want to do.

"I don't want to hurt you in either way," Chris told her, stepping closer to her and wrapping his arm around her waist. She allowed the contact and actually pushed herself closer to him, a gesture she reserved for every once in a while. Chris knew Stephanie loved him, showing it though, that was another matter altogether.

"Well that's too bad for you," she mumbled, kissing his covered shoulder. "I just don't want him to know about it. I would just rather not, please respect that."

"I just think that it might be better for you to let some of that out. I love you, Stephanie, in any way, shape or form you come. There are no stipulations to my love. If talking about it let out some of the anger and hurt you have from that incident, I think you should take it."

"What would it prove? My father would have my brother killed if he found out for certain Shane beat me up," Stephanie said, shrugging her shoulders. She wished her husband would understand that she didn't need the help. She was doing just fine without talking about what happened. What happened had no bearing on her life now. She was going to put her brother away and that was that, end of story. Once he was locked away, she could feel free again.

She had never told Chris, at least not outright, that part of her still feared Shane. It wasn't a large part, she knew she could overcome him, take him down, and bury him. She'd done it to enough people that she knew she could, but still, this was her brother. Yes, he thought she was dead, but there was this fear that resided deep inside her. It would only take a few minutes for him to figure out who she was and he could hurt her. Inside, the scared girl who was beaten by her own brother still looked at him and cowered a little.

That was maybe what she hated about him the most. She hated being scared. It just wasn't in her makeup to do so. She'd taken down a number of people, including the man she'd planned to marry, she'd faked her own death, played a hand in her mother's death; she was strong and fierce, but then her brother came around and it was scared, little girl all over again. She detested that a part of her existed in that plane where her brother had knocked any sense of decency out of her body.

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Yes, when we have all these plans that we're trying to execute in order to take down my brother, so yes, it is a bad thing. I don't want my father to have the satisfaction of being the one to take him out, I want to be the one to do it. I _need_ to be the one to do it," Stephanie told him and Chris nodded.

"If that's how you feel then it's how I feel," he told her and she smiled and reached down to squeeze his hand.

"I'm never going to be like other women, Chris," she told him, leaning her chin on his shoulder so her breath was tickling his ear. "I know you probably already know that, but I wanted to reiterate the point that I'm not ever going to be like a normal wife."

"Nor would I ever want you to be," he told her. "I like you just the way you are."

"Okay, then let's go find something to incriminate my brother."

The elevator finally reached the basement and Chris and Stephanie stepped off. It was darker down here since they were obviously underground. They walked down the musty corridor to the security room and knocked on the door. The security guard on duty opened the door and upon seeing who was on the other side (in Chris, who had a high position within the company, Stephanie, as she was now, was just the tagalong) his eyes widened and his posture straightened.

"Mr. Jericho, what can I do for you, sir?"

"Are you the only guard on duty right now?" Chris asked.

"Yes, sir, I am."

"I needed to go over some security tapes and I needed to do it now."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jericho, but I'm not supposed to leave my post at the security desk. I monitor all the cameras and if something were to happen while I was accessing those tapes for you, I'd be out on my ass."

"Is there a way to see them on these monitors?" Chris asked.

"Well," he looked back at the equipment, about twenty screens flashing constantly between the many different cameras. It was enough to make anybody cross-eyed, but security was so good at the front gate and in the lobby that the only cameras that ever really needed checking were the outdoor ones, "yes, we do store the data on here and on the DVD's. We keep them for two months before they go into archive if something happens that may be needed for further evidence or they get deleted."

"We're looking for something that happened a few days ago, we need to see it immediately and we want to see it on that machine," Chris gestured towards the screens this young man had been looking at diligently.

"I really can't do that."

"Hi," Stephanie drawled. "You don't understand why we need to do this. My husband is a very important man here, maybe one of _the_ most important seeing as how Vince McMahon himself is probably going to give the company to him someday. You wouldn't want to make him angry, would you?"

"But, I mean, no, I wouldn't, but I don't think I could do that because it means my job."

"Oh, honey, it wouldn't take very long at all," Stephanie pouted and stepped closer while Chris watched her try and work her magic. He noticed the security guard, who couldn't be more than 24, gulp as he looked down to his wife's cleavage. He couldn't blame the kid, his wife gave great cleavage. "You would be greatly compensated as well."

"I really couldn't."

"I still haven't explained why though," she told him, "My husband was accused, wrongly I might add, of beating up another man and we just _need_ to get our hands on that footage so we can try and clear his good name."

"Well, I mean, that does sound kind of like a good cause," he stammered, looking around nervously like this was some sort of test he didn't want to fail.

"It is, and I could definitely give you some incentive." Stephanie reached down into her cleavage and pulled out some cash. She pulled it out slowly so the guys eyes were trained on her breasts. She bit her lip as she looked up at him coyly. She blinked flirtatiously and then smiled. "Would this help? You could take a long lunch…"

"I…"

Chris just shook his head at how this guy was staring at his wife. It was like he had ceased to exist because the kid didn't seem to care that the woman's husband was standing right behind her, watching the entire exchange. Stephanie could have a man in the palm of her hand before they would even know what was going on.

"Please," she tilted her head down and pouted at him.

"I can only give you about a half hour," he said dumbly, still mesmerized by Stephanie's display.

"Thank you," Stephanie looked down and smirked to herself before looking at his nametag, "Josh, you're just so nice, I am so thankful you would do such a thing for me."

"It's not a problem, let me show you how to work this."

Stephanie and Chris stepped into the room and Josh showed them how to access the data stored on the computer in order to look at backlogs. Once he was secure in their knowledge of the equipment, he took off for a while. Stephanie and Chris burst into laughter as soon as he was out of the room. Chris leaned over and kissed Stephanie and she stood up while still kissing him before straddling his lap, gyrating against his crotch before Chris pulled away and shook his head cheekily.

"We've got work to do," he told her and she turned around, but stayed in his lap.

"Okay, so the guy that Shane got to actually beat him up has only been working here for a couple months. I know that Shane asked to see this too, to get a scope for what can be seen and where because there are a lot of cameras that you might not see. But, we're going to hopefully find a kink in the system. Since the guy was only here for two months, there's a slim chance that there's a camera he overlooked and that footage is here."

"But if he came back and saw it, there's a chance he could have deleted it."

"There is a chance," Stephanie said, starting to push some buttons and going back to the date of the alleged attack. "But if this guy was willing to take a pay-off to beat someone up, something tells me he's not the brightest bulb."

Stephanie and Chris started searching all the footage they could from outside the building that day. It turned out there were a lot of cameras situated outside the building for protection, but unfortunately, it seemed her brother had found the one spot outside where the cameras couldn't reach. Stephanie couldn't begrudge her brother too much because at the very least, he was thorough about this and she did love the challenge.

"Damn it," Chris muttered under his breath, "I'm not seeing anything."

"Neither am I," Stephanie said, rubbing her temples. "I can't believe we couldn't get him. Usually we're so good at what we do. If we can't get this footage then it really does become he said this, you said that and I wouldn't put it past my brother to have connections in order to bribe a judge on this one."

"I wouldn't put it past him either, but your dad has just as many connections."

"Battle of wills," Stephanie mused.

"Wait a second…I think I've got something," Chris said, "I mean, I don't know if this is going to work, but the lobby is all glass, right? So if it's all glass and there are cameras in the lobby, do you see where I'm going with this?"

"If we can find out just where outside Shane was beaten up, we can find out where it corresponds to the inside and see if we can find the footage!" Stephanie said excitedly, reaching over and pushing buttons until she switched to the inside cameras. "Okay, so if we can see it, it's probably in a rather remote corner, maybe around the back…"

They started searching again, looking far and wide and in the background of different shots around the lobby. It was starting to look hopeless again until Chris said, "Stephanie, look at this."

Stephanie looked at the camera Chris was pointing at. In the very background, a little blurry but still recognizable, there was a man getting beat up that could only be Shane. The good part of the video was that the man who beat up Shane could not be Chris, the figure was too large to be Chris. Stephanie nearly screamed and turned to hug Chris, then pulled him into a kiss and pushed her tongue into his mouth.

"We've got him."


	36. Chapter 36

Chris kissed the soft skin just underneath her breasts before letting his lips linger in between them and then over her collarbone and finally up to her neck and her jaw and her mouth. She laughed breathlessly as he deepened the kiss and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he stared down at her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Why did you wake me up?"

"Because I felt like it, is that a problem?" he wondered. Her eyes were sharp, even though she'd just woken up. He wondered if they would always be like that, sharp and calculating, even when she could let her guard down. He hoped, vainly maybe, that when this was all over and their revenge had been had her eyes would lose some of that guardedness they held. But even if they didn't, he'd still love every part of her.

"What time is it?"

"Early, but I've got a morning surprise for you," he grinded himself against her and she closed her eyes as she moaned softly. "I'm insatiable, what can I say? I mean, wasn't it just last night we found proof that your brother is a liar?"

"We knew that already."

"But he tried to send me to jail," Chris said, "that bastard actually tried to get me sent to jail. Doesn't he know who he's dealing with? The naiveté of that asshole, thinking he can fuck around with me. I can bring him down."

"And we will," Stephanie said, reaching up and placing her warm hands on his cheeks. "Our lawyers called a meeting today to discuss it and then we'll have the evidence they can use in your defense. Shane has nothing and after today, the only thing he'll be is a douchebag in a hospital bed. Plus, this won't get him out of a match, will it?"

"It might, not that I needed the match, I just wanted to pulverize him," Chris said darkly. Every time he thought about beating up Shane, his thoughts went to a very dark place. That man had hurt his wife and for that, he wanted to kill him with his bare hands, but that was too good for Shane. Anything but a lifetime of misery was too good for Shane. Better to have him rot in prison with nobody to talk to than dead.

"I know, but maybe we don't need that," Stephanie deflected.

"I want that though. I can wait until he's better to be put into a match with him. No holds barred, maybe it would be one of those unsanctioned matches where anything goes and he can't do a damn thing about it."

"Would you just get inside me already and stop talking about my brother," she said and it was a dirty tactic and she knew it. As he sunk into her, she knew his mind would flit away from Shane and everything that was going on in their lives. She let herself fall into him, moving in rhythm with his body. Everything else could fall away for a while. She wrapped her arms around him and let herself forget about all her troubles.

Chris slapped her ass as they walked into their lawyer's offices. She turned to glare at him, but he just winked at her and then stared down at her ass. She turned back around, but put an extra swing into her steps, which she knew he would appreciate. The lawyers were waiting for them and they were led immediately into a small meeting room. Chris pulled Stephanie's chair out for her, letting his index finger run the length of her back as she sat down.

"So what's going on?" Stephanie drawled as Chris sat down next to her, across from their two lawyers. "I can't believe anyone would ever want to frame my husband."

"Well, Shane McMahon does want to press charges for aggravated assault and assault and battery on you, Mr. Jericho. He says that you two argued and that you later ambushed him outside the building and beat him and with him in the hospital, he obviously has evidence of his injuries."

"Well, we have proof that it couldn't possibly have been Chris," Stephanie explained to them.

"You do?" one of the lawyers asked.

"Yes, we do," Stephanie pulled out the DVD from the security cameras and placed it on the table, sliding it across to the lawyers. One of them excused themselves to grab a TV to push it into the room. Chris smiled over at Stephanie, who looked as cool as one could be at the moment.

They put the DVD into the player and Chris and Stephanie both pointed out what you could see in the background. The lawyers smirked at each other as they realized Shane's case had no basis. They explained that Shane, if they ran with it, could be convicted for perjury. Stephanie looked to Chris and she didn't want Shane going to jail just yet, not just yet.

Chris spoke up first, "If he agrees to drop the charges against me, can we not have him go to jail just yet."

"What?" Robert, their lawyer, asked. "But he's obviously lying about what happened. This could send him to jail."

"We don't want that, not right now," Chris said, "we've got some things that we suspect about him and we've got some corporate lawyers looking into it and we'd rather he be charged for that."

"We could have him on all the charges," Robert said.

"Could you hold off on the charges?" Stephanie asked. "Chris is out on a bond and it would take a little while for him to actually go to court, wouldn't it?"

"I guess…but why would you want to wait, what do you have on him?"

"We've got a lot of stuff on him, actually," Chris said, "we suspect him of embezzling large quantities from the company. We've got people looking into it. We're having the corporate lawyers making a case of it."

"Well, that does change some things, those are far bigger charges than this would be. I guess we could hold off on this, but I seriously wouldn't suggest it. If you want to go ahead and have him cop the deal with not being charged, it probably would be better, as long as you think he really will be charged for embezzlement."

"We're fairly positive," Chris said.

Their lawyers thought this was very unusual, but Chris was a high-paying client so they pretty much had to listen to what he wanted and if he wanted Shane not to be charged, then there wasn't much they could do about it. They weren't the ones who had been accused of beating someone up to within an inch of their lives. They kept the DVD and promised they would contact Shane's attorneys as soon as possible to get things in the works. They were all sure Shane would rather take the deal than go to jail…for now at least.

"They thought we were crazy," Stephanie said.

"I know, but we've got bigger plans for him," Chris said, holding her hand, "but what are we going to do about that other guy who you hate and want to suffer?"

"Oh yes, I've almost forgotten about that pathetic excuse for a human being," Stephanie said, then saw something up ahead. She gave Chris a coy look before walking quickly to the phone booth on the street (a rarity nowadays, but perfect for her at the moment). She grabbed the phone and rooted through her purse for some change.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked her.

"Something to keep up with that other guy," Stephanie said as she put the change into the phone. She pressed her finger on his lips to keep him quiet before she dialed Hunter's number.

"Hello?"

"Hunter, is that you?" Stephanie said in her normal voice.

"Stephanie?" Hunter asked in horror. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared down at it like it was made of something horrendous. He shuddered and couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. He had to be dreaming; this was a dream or a nightmare, it had to be, this could not be Stephanie. There was just no way. He pulled the phone back to his ear. "Stephanie, is that you?"

"Hunter…Hunter, where are you? I can't see you."

Chris started laughing and had to take a step away because he didn't want Hunter to hear him. The last thing he wanted was for Hunter to suspect anything. Stephanie was very good at disguising who she was. The plastic surgery had helped, but when she was acting as his fake wife, she had this entirely different air to her that made her seem like another personality altogether. She deserved an Oscar for her performance.

"Stephanie, where are you?" Hunter asked desperately. "Can I get to you, tell me where you are! I'll come get you, wherever you are. Did someone take you? You didn't die, did you? I knew you didn't, I just…I mean, I saw, but I never believed…I hoped…someone took you, someone took you somewhere, where are you?"

"Hunter…help me…" Stephanie looked at Chris and he was doubled over in laughter and she was having a difficult time not laughing herself. Hunter's voice sounded so sad and hopeful. She loved crushing him like a bug. Was this an appropriate response to him tearing her away from Chris and trying to change her entire personality? Perhaps not, but she couldn't help the way she felt she needed to get revenge. That was how she worked, that's all.

"I would, baby, but you have to tell me where you are?"

"I don't know…it's so cold, so dark…it's so dark…"

"Stephanie, I don't…I don't understand…"

"I don't…Hunter…"

"Stephanie, please, just tell me where you are!" If there was even the slightest chance that she was alive, he would scour the earth for her. He would search everywhere he could. He would do anything to have her back. His life felt wrong without her. Of course, there was the fact that Chris loved her or she loved him, but if he found her, if he was the one who got to her first, saved her from whatever was hurting her or keeping her, there's no way she would want Chris over him. There was just no way she wouldn't love her savior.

"I don't…it's so dark, I feel so cold…I can't see anything…I just…please…"

"Stephanie," he started to cry now, his voice becoming choked with tears. Stephanie bit her lip and looked over at Chris, making a crazy sign by spinning her finger around her ear. Chris just shook his head and came back over, leaning against the booth. "Stephanie, please, just tell me anything about what's around you."

"So small, cramped…so…dark…dark…help…"

" Baby, I want to help you, I really do want to help you! You just have to help me too. Do you hear anything? Is there anything you can hear and tell me about what you can hear, are there voices? Is someone trying to talk to you?"

"Quiet…it's so quiet…no sound, can't…nothing to hear…there's nothing to hear…"

"Okay, well, you managed to call me, so you have a phone, right? You have something you can call me on. Just…I don't have caller ID, but I can get it, I can get it and you can call me back and then I can know where you are. I can call the cops and everything and they'll help and everything."

"Hunter…please…" Stephanie hung up the phone and then started laughing. "You should have heard him, thought I was being held somewhere and that I was in trouble and said he would find me whatever it took, come on, I want to go talk to my dad about getting Shane charged for stealing millions."

"Okay," Chris said, "I love when you're a horrible person."

"Then you must love me all the time," she said as she heard the pay phone ringing behind her. They both looked back, but neither one of them went back to the phone, instead letting it ring.

Neither one really even cared.


	37. Chapter 37

"Can I…can I talk to you?"

Chris looked up from his desk and licked his lips before smiling in a genial way. "What did you need, Hunter?"

"I wanted to talk, like I just said," Hunter shoved his hands into his pockets. "Look, I know that…can we just talk?"

"Sure, go ahead," Chris sat back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. "Say what you have to say, I'm listening."

"Alone," Hunter said, glancing over at Stephanie who was flipping through a magazine on the couch in Chris's office. She glanced up at him, smiling innocently, like she'd only just noticed that he was here.

"Oh, do you mean me?" Stephanie asked in her fake Southern drawl.

"Yeah, sorry, do you think you can leave?" Hunter asked.

"Anything you say to me, you can say to her, she is my _wife_ after all," Chris said and relished in saying that even if Hunter didn't know who Stephanie was. It didn't matter that Hunter thought he was dead, Chris knew the immense advantage he held over the other man and that was satisfying enough for him.

"Please," Hunter implored and if Chris and/or Stephanie had a conscience, they might feel bad for Hunter right now, but after everything that had happened, they couldn't even muster up the slightest bit of pity for him. He'd tried to end their friendship, using nefarious means and was their response warranted, perhaps not, but they never claimed to be good people.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Stephanie said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I can just go to the cafeteria and get myself something to eat, it's not really a problem, would you like me to bring you anything, my love?"

"No, I think I'll meet you down there after I'm done talking with Hunter," Chris told her, smiling and crooking his finger towards himself. She leaned down and kissed him hard, her mouth opening as the kiss deepened. Chris returned it fully, wrestling his tongue with hers and both knowing that they were putting on quite the show for Hunter. That was half the fun of it all.

"Okay, I love you _so_ much, honey bunch," Stephanie ran her hand down his cheek. She pulled away and "I hope you have a nice talk. It was nice seeing you again, Hunter."

"Yeah, you too," Hunter stared after her before he turned to Chris, who was back to folding his arms behind his head, making himself look so superior, but that's how he felt right now. He had an inkling of what this was going to be about and all Hunter had to do was confirm it. "Look, I know we hate each other, but I really need to talk to you about something and I need you to be serious with me."

"First you'll have to tell me what this is all about," Chris said, "then I'll make judgments."

"Look, this is serious alright, I'm not joking around," Hunter sunk into the chair in front of Chris's desk. "Do you ever feel…feel like Stephanie isn't really gone?"

"Of course I feel her presence everywhere," Chris said, pretending to be sad and wistful. "Sometimes I like to think she's watching over me, you know, my own personal guardian angel."

"No, I don't mean like that," Hunter said gruffly, "what I mean is do you ever feel like she's not…gone as in that she's kind of hanging around in some way, some weird…way…"

"You mean like a ghost?" Chris asked skeptically, trying to hold in his laughter. It seemed that Stephanie's impromptu phone call to him the other day had really spooked him. Good, Chris thought, because he wanted him to be spooked.

"I guess, I mean, that's silly, right?" Hunter asked. "It's just that the other day, I got this…God, this is going to sound unbelievable, but I got this phone call and it was from Stephanie—"

"I'm going to have to stop you here, man," Chris said, "you got a _phone call_ from Stephanie? Don't you think that's a little unbelievable, maybe even a little crazy? Stephanie has been dead for a long time now. You know, it's probably time that you move on completely."

"You don't know what it's been like for me," Hunter snapped at him. Nobody understood what he was going through. Why did they all think he could just recover from this without any repercussions? Why did they think he was ready to go out and see other people when he wasn't? He was so close to having Stephanie right where he wanted her. He had her away from Chris, she was going to marry him, and then this, all of this would have been his. Didn't people get how hard it was to give all that up?

"Oh, I don't," Chris scoffed. "Do you remember what Stephanie was in my life, huh?"

"You didn't have her," Hunter leaned forward giving Chris an almost dangerous look. "You thought you had her, but she was mine, never forget that, Jericho." Chris laughed this time. "What makes you think you _ever_ had her? You keep claiming that she loved you and you have what, one note that you don't even know where it came from? There was nothing between the two of you."

"You know nothing about what Stephanie and I were," Chris challenged him. "You never understood her. Not for one damn moment in your entire fucking relationship did you understand her. You tried to fit her in some goddamn box, some wife that _you_ wanted, but you never knew her."

"Don't tell me what I did or didn't know!" Hunter yelled at him. He took a deep breath and looked down. "That's not what I'm here for, I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to talk about what's going on and hoping that you had some kind of explanation for it."

"Yeah, because I know what's going on," Chris scoffed, "I don't even know what you heard. For all I know, you're going insane."

"Don't say that," Hunter muttered angrily. He'd been contemplating that very fact for a long time. He didn't want to think he was going insane, but that seemed to be the only explanation. At the very least, it was the only explanation that made any kind of sense. He wasn't generally a guy who believed in things like ghosts or the supernatural, but what else could there possibly be?

"Well, what else can it be? What exactly did this 'Stephanie' say to you?"

"She was just saying that it was dark and to help her and that she needed my help," he mumbled embarrassedly. When he said it out loud, it sounded so ridiculous. But it had happened, he was so sure of it. It couldn't have been a dream. He knew he was awake when it happened, at least he thought he was. Maybe his life was starting to blur together.

"And you think this is real?"

"I don't know what to think anymore," Hunter said, "weird things keep happening and I don't know what to think or to feel. I know what I heard, I know that it was real, it just has to be real, but I can't explain it, I don't know how."

"Sounds to me like you're going psycho."

"I'm _not_ going psycho. I tried calling the number back, but nobody answered, I looked it up, it was a pay phone, just a regular pay phone. How could Stephanie call me from a pay phone if she's supposed to be dead? And the call came from around Stamford, so it was in the area. It was definitely in the area where she would…be or something…"

"How about it's a hoax," Chris told him. "Someone that sounded like Stephanie probably called you as a prank. I'm sure it can't be that hard to find your phone number, it was probably someone trying to mess with you."

"You think I'm lying."

"I think you're crazy, yes," Chris told him. "I think you're blowing something out of proportion. I mean, here you are, talking about ghosts and Stephanie coming back from the dead or whatever it is you're thinking. I mean, seriously man, what? You think that she's haunting you?"

"I told you I don't know what to think, but I know what I heard was her voice, I know what she sounds like and I would know if it was an imposter. I would just know it."

"Didn't you mention that weird things have been happening to you for a while?" Chris said to him, having fun with the man. That Hunter was buying all of this was just the icing on the cake. With any luck, it wouldn't take much more to completely break the man into a million different pieces. He really wanted to witness that happening.

"Yeah, but this was by far the weirdest," Hunter ran his hands through his hair. "I don't even know how to explain it. She also said it was cramped, like she was somewhere. I know you don't believe me, but I just…I guess nothing has happened to you then?"

"I haven't seen any otherworldly visions of Stephanie if that's what you're asking," Chris told him. "I think you need help, dude. You should really start going to a psychiatrist or something, maybe some kind of grief program. You never know what's going on in your head. I mean, you're seeing ghosts or hearing them or whatever…wait, you haven't _seen_ Stephanie, have you?"

Hunter gulped, "No…"

"Holy shit, dude, you think you've _seen_ her?" Chris laughed. "Wow, you need to get laid or something. How can you just like, go on with yourself? You need a good woman or some really good meds."

"I'm not fucking crazy!" Hunter yelled again, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. "I know what I see is real. I think Stephanie is out there. I think she's out there and I don't think she's dead."

"What are you going to do? Have them pull up her coffin and check?" Chris asked, knowing there was no way that would happen. There was no cause for them to and Vince was in charge of that legally and he had enough money to make sure that empty coffin was never opened.

"No, but…there has to be some explanation for this, some logical explanation."

"Yes, you are going crazy because you miss her so much," Chris stood up and stared him down. "You need a lot of help. Look, why don't I call around, get some numbers. I'm sure this will be covered by the company and you can get back on track."

"Fuck you," Hunter told him.

"I'm just trying to help," Chris shrugged.

"Help, my ass," Hunter stormed out of the room as Chris watched him walk in the direction of the elevators. Chris watched him with a smirk on his face, waiting a little bit before going for the elevators himself. He went down to the cafeteria and spotted Stephanie eating some French fries in the corner. He went and slid in next to her, giving her a peck on the cheek before grabbing a fry and eating it slowly.

"So what happened up there?" she asked quietly so nobody else could hear her.

"He went on and on about how he was seeing Stephanie and how he heard her and he wanted to know if I'd heard from you as well. He was trying to come up with explanations, hoping that I had seen the same thing. Little does he know that I see Stephanie every night," Chris winked at her and she fed him another fry. "He's completely upset about it, stormed out of my office and everything, just like the little baby that he is."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that he should get laid immediately," Chris said, "he really just doesn't know the power of a good pussy."

"Blah," Stephanie rolled her eyes, "what else did you say, what else happened, what do you think is going to happen now?"

"Well, I think there's definitely one thing happening."

"What, don't keep me in suspense."

"I think Hunter is just about to go over the edge."


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and everything. With the site's new review system, if you want to leave an anonymous review, it always just says "Guest" so if you do leave an anonymous review, it'd be great if you could sign it or put your name on it so I know who's reviewing, thanks! :)

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"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Excuse me, am I _sure_ I want to do this?" Stephanie scoffed as she looked over at Chris, who was lounging on the couch in their hotel room.

"I had to ask," Chris smirked, "I mean, when you have some ridiculous ideas, someone has to be the one to ask if you're sane. I think it's pretty much a requisite at this point."

"It's not a stupid idea," Stephanie told him, running her hand down his arm as she too his hand in hers. "In fact, I think it's actually pretty brilliant. Don't worry, you don't even really have a part in it."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he told her.

"What do you mean by that?" Stephanie glared at him, nearly daring him to say something. She knew Chris was just being his normal self, hating anything that didn't include him, but sometimes he just wasn't needed. Maybe that was the problem though. She wasn't good at this relationship thing. She never knew what really to do, how to be normal. She was screwed up, so her relationships were screwed up, that's all she knew.

"I just mean that something could go wrong," he told her, his forehead crinkling into a series of worry lines. She reached up and smoothed them away, making him look up at her as she hovered near his head.

"Listen to me," Stephanie said, "do you want in on this plan?"

"Yes, I do, you know I always do," he told her, and the light returned to his eyes. He was reeking of anticipation, wanting a part of taking down Hunter, making the other man descend into his own personal hell. This was something he'd wanted for over a year now.

Stephanie could still remember the heat of Chris's body when he'd told her what was really going on, when he'd brought back the Stephanie she thought was lost forever. When she'd lost Chris's friendship, it had made the world seem hopeless. Not hopeless in that she would never go on, but she felt like she couldn't be herself around Hunter. Sure, her real self was a conniving bitch, but that didn't mean she wanted to lose that forever.

Hunter had tried to change her. He'd ripped her away from the one person on this Earth who knew her better than anyone, who accepted her just as she was without viewing her flaws as overwhelming mountains, unable to be overcome. Hunter wanted her to be this meek kitten, forever trouncing after her. He'd smothered her, lied to her, manipulated her, bringing in other people in order to execute some kind of idiotic rescue mission. For that, he deserved what he got, and she would believe that until the day she _actually_ died.

"Well then, okay," Stephanie nodded, "you can be included because…well, because I love you."

She really needed to start telling him that more often. Her love for Chris had actually softened her to the point where she almost felt…normal. She was lucky for Chris's love. She knew that someday, maybe even someday soon, she might actually function like a normal person, without agendas or schemes, or this overwhelming need to right every wrong ever done to her, and it was Chris's love that would bring her back from the brink.

She wished she could be more affectionate, more loving, but she just didn't know how so her words would have to suffice. They seemed to do the trick this time because Chris's face brightened up considerably. As inscrutable as Chris was, he was still someone who could be wowed by simple words and actions, ones she should show him more often so the bright look on his face would never fade. Sometimes it hit her just how in love with this man she was and it startled her, this depth of feeling that wasn't anchored in revenge and hate.

"I love you too," he told her, his lips quirking up into a smile. "But you knew that. So what do you want me to do?"

What she also loved about him was he didn't draw out the affection because he knew it made her uncomfortable to display so much emotion. "You can help with the first part of the plan, are you up for it?"

"Just tell me what to do."

Chris walked up to Hunter at the next show and clapped him on the back, getting his attention. "Hey, man, I was wondering if we could go out and get some drinks after the show. I'm actually feeling bad for how I reacted last week, and I want to make it up to you."

"What?" Hunter asked.

"Look, I don't know what you're going through, but I cared about Stephanie. Stephanie obviously had feelings for you, and you're going through a hard time. I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this because Stephanie would have wanted me to."

It was kind of the truth if he thought about it. Stephanie _did_ ask him to do this so it wasn't like he was lying. "Whatever," Hunter said.

"So do you want to?" Chris asked. "I'll buy, so you don't have to worry about it or anything."

"Fine, sure, whatever, but only for Stephanie," Hunter told him. Chris smiled. The first part of the plan was in motion.

Chris and Hunter went to a bar after the show, just like planned and, after they got a couple beers, Chris led him over to a table, sitting down and gesturing for Hunter to sit down next to him. "You know, sometimes I think I see Stephanie."

"You do?" Hunter asked, looking over at the other man in wonder.

"Yeah, of course. I think I see her everywhere, especially after she died. I thought I saw her everywhere I went, like it was all some kind of bad nightmare. I've never really admitted that to anyone," Chris took a long swig of his beer. "I can't believe I'm admitting it to you of all people."

"But I swear, man, it was _her_. I just couldn't mistake that, I just…it wasn't just a figment of my imagination, it was her, she was calling me, and she was telling me all these things and it just didn't seem fake."

"You know, you've never really had time to get over her death, I mean, right after, you were thrust right back into all of this with wrestling, maybe it's just all catching up with you," Chris tried to reason, gently nudging Hunter into thinking he was crazy. "Maybe it's just the stress."

"So you don't really think I saw or heard her?"

"I'm just saying, at the end of the day, when I thought I saw her, I didn't really, she wasn't really there."

"I know what I heard though. If you were there, if you heard what I heard, you would think she's alive right now too!" he insisted.

Chris knew she was alive, he'd fucked her this morning, and from her response, she was _very_ much alive. "Maybe it could have been someone impersonating her, you don't know that it was her. Maybe it was just someone who sounded like her, someone who was trying to make your life miserable."

Chris was nearly spelling out the entire plan for Hunter, but the guy was so entrenched in his own thinking, he barely even acknowledged what Chris was _really_ saying. It almost made Chris want to laugh, but this plan hinged on him gaining some of Hunter's trust. "No, I know her voice, I know what it sounds like, then when I called the number back someone answered and said it was a pay phone. It was from a pay phone."

"So?" Chris told him. "That doesn't mean anything."

"What if she's out there? What if she wasn't dead and there was some sort of conspiracy to make everyone think she was dead. I mean, she's worth a ton of money," Hunter said, "or she was, but anyways, apparently she had money unaccounted for, I had it checked out. They think it was in offshore investments or something like that, but maybe someone took her and made her take the money out and she's trying to escape but can't."

"Okay, Hunter, listen to yourself," Chris bit the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. "Listen to what you're saying. Conspiracies, fake deaths, thievery? I mean, do you know how this sounds to people."

"But it was her, Chris!"

"I'm going to get some shots, okay," Chris said, about to implement the rest of his part of the plan. "I think we can both do with some shots right now. Just stay calm over here, got it?"

"Yeah, okay," Hunter said, staring down into the bottleneck of his beer.

Chris walked up to the bar and order four shots of whiskey, two each. He wasn't planning on getting drunk, but Chris could hold his liquor better than anyone he knew. He paid the bartender after he poured the shots and, when the bartender walked away to tend to someone else, Chris grabbed a small vial out of his pocket, with a crushed powder inside. Stephanie had really thought of everything. Chris wasn't about to roofie Hunter because Stephanie needed him semi-conscious, so all this was, was Tylenol PM, it would make him incredibly sleepy, but it wouldn't knock him out entirely.

Chris dumped the contents into one of the shot glasses, and brought the four of them back to the table, making sure he gave Hunter the tainted one. "Now come on, let's do this, you'll feel better, calmer even after you have a couple shots," Chris quickly grabbed his two glasses and downed the contents of them, one after the other, letting the liquid burn down his throat, easing his own nerves.

Then he watched as Hunter drank his. "See, don't you feel better already?" Chris asked.

"No, because I know she's out there, I just know she is," Hunter slunk his chin into his palm. "You didn't hear her voice, Chris."

"I really think you should talk to someone," Chris told him. "Look, at the end of the day, I am one of you bosses, so I have to look out for the best interest of my wrestlers; that includes you. I'm going to look into it, and I'm going to recommend a couple of therapists that you can see."

"I don't need to see a therapist," Hunter insisted, "I need to look for her. I need to find her because she may be in trouble and if she's in trouble someone has to save her."

"Hunter, you _saw_ her die, you were in there with her."

"I don't know what I saw," Hunter said, squinting his eyes a little. "Maybe the doctors were in on it. Maybe they knew what was going on and they did this so I wouldn't know. You never know with this world, you know."

"I think you need some help," Chris said, "I'll look into it, I'm sure it's covered by the company, and if it isn't, I'm sure Vince will foot the bill. He's a good man when he wants to be. Plus, don't you think if she were alive, she would contact Vince?"

"Maybe not, maybe she has and he hasn't said anything."

"I see him nearly everyday, Hunter, I think I'd know if something was up with him."

"You don't know," Hunter said, squinting even harder and then yawning. "God, I'm so exhausted."

"You look beat," Chris said, watching as Hunter struggled to keep his eyes open. "Have you even been sleeping, dude?"

"It's hard," Hunter said, "with Stephanie needing me."

"Hunter, man, I'm telling you, she is dead, she's not coming back. It's all in your head, but don't worry, we're going to get you help."

It wasn't long after that Hunter actually fell asleep right there at the table, slumped over the table. Chris nudged him, "Hunter, we need to get out of here."

"No, so tired," Hunter told him.

Chris knew this was going to be a chore so he pushed himself off his stool, and walked over to Hunter, standing next to him. He lifted Hunter's bulky arm and put it around his own shoulder before hoisting Hunter up. He got the man to stand up without falling over and started leading him towards the door, Hunter taking clunky steps as he tried to focus, but kept falling asleep. Some people were watching the scene and Chris just sighed and mouthed "drunk" to them as they nodded sympathetically. Chris led Hunter out to his car and put him inside, taking him back to the hotel.

He repeated the same actions in the bar into the hotel and went to Hunter's room, finding Hunter's room key with his wallet. He found the room, letting them both inside before he brought Hunter to his bedroom, shoving him down on the bed. He walked back out of the room, Hunter's room key still in hand as he went back up to his own room. He opened the door and found Stephanie sitting on the couch, waiting for him, ready for her parts. He went over and stood in front of her.

"He's all yours."

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A/N: Just a little reminder that if you do review anonymously, please sign your name or screename or whatever you want so I can identify you, thanks! :)


	39. Chapter 39

Stephanie was a little tempted to invite Chris up to Hunter's room with her, but thought better of it. If Hunter, even in his drowsy state, saw Chris there, he might interrogate Chris, and that just wouldn't do. So she grabbed the keycard Chris was holding and stood up to face him. She took his face in her hands and languidly kissed him, letting her lips linger on his, her tongue brushing along the bottom edge of his lip.

"Thank you," she told him, her voice dripping with sincerity. She wanted Chris to know she really did appreciate everything he did for her. She wasn't a normal person, she didn't want normal things or a normal life, but Chris continuously rolled with the punches, and not only that, he loved her through all of it. She didn't deserve him, and this was coming from a woman who believed she deserved the world.

"You don't have to—"

"No, Chris Jericho, don't pull that tired, old stunt on me," Stephanie shook her head, her hair fanning around her face, falling in way that was so achingly familiar. She was wearing a wig, and the nostalgia hit Chris like a falling piano. He knew why Stephanie had to hide her looks, but sometimes he missed her, the her that first captivated his senses. "You know I fucking love you and all you do for me."

He shrugged carelessly. "He tried to tear us apart, there is nothing in the world I wouldn't do to him at this point, believe me."

She nodded, knowing there was no more need for words. She started to walk away, but Chris grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back, kissing her again. She let herself fall into it. They'd given Hunter enough Tylenol PM to have him be groggy for a little while so she let herself indulge in the expertise that was Chris's kiss. She'd never been kissed until Chris it seemed. Great, now she was getting all sappy.

"I've got to go," she told him, extricating herself gently from his arms. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she'd give into the emotion threatening to spill forth from deep within her. She didn't do sappy, she couldn't, she just…it was like there was something incapable of it that prevented her from falling victim to overwhelming feelings.

"Okay, be safe, alright, if things get tricky or weird, just leave, we can think of something else."

"I know," she nodded. He squeezed her wrists gently before letting her go. She took a deep breath and slunk out of the hotel room. It was late so she figured she wouldn't run into anyone. Even so, she decided to take the stairs, just to be safe. The elevator was too unpredictable. Anyone could be on it when the doors opened, and anyone could be waiting for it when you wanted to step off. The stairs at least provided her with a little cover.

She went down the three floors to Hunter's room, slowly opening the door and peering out into the deserted hallway. Waiting a few moments to make sure nobody walked back, she scurried down the hallway until she saw his room number, slipping the card in gently as she opened the door and disappeared inside. The room was quiet save for Hunter's snoring. She rolled her eyes at the habit she'd hated the entire time she'd been with him.

Sauntering inside, she went into the bathroom, closing the door and checking on her appearance. She giggled breathlessly as she realized her wig was slightly askew. She took the time to make sure it was straight, then looked at her outfit. She wanted to look almost ethereal so she'd chosen a long, white skirt with a white blouse. Angelic? Perhaps, but that was kind of what she was going for. When she was happy with her appearance, she walked back out, standing in the doorway, the light from the bathroom illuminating her from behind.

Hunter was sleeping on his side, or maybe he wasn't sleeping. His eyes appeared to be slight slits, just barely open, like he was valiantly trying to fight sleep, but it just wasn't working. She almost felt pity for him in that moment, but as soon as that feeling came, she was pelted with her feelings of loneliness and isolation when Hunter had turned Chris against her. She suddenly felt no remorse whatsoever. Instead, she was filled with the intense hatred she'd been carrying around for the better part of two years.

"Hunter," she whispered, just loud enough to where he might not hear her.

"Hmm," he mumbled incoherently, his eyes fluttering, trying hard to open wider, but failing.

"Hunter," she said a little louder, then giggled.

This time, Hunter fought even harder to open his eyes and when he looked at her groggily, his breath stunted. "Stephanie? Is that you?"

"Uh huh," she told him.

"I'm hallucinating," he muttered to himself. "You're not real. You're not here, I'm hallucinating like Chris said."

"Is that what you think? You think I'm just a figment of your imagination?" Stephanie asked, standing her ground and not going over to him just yet. There'd be time for that soon enough.

"Yes, you're not here, you're not real. You're dead." His speech was slurred from the drugs and from sleep, making him nearly incoherent, but his voice was getting louder the more he thought she was just a vision in his mind's eye.

"Are you sure? I seem real, don't I?" she asked him.

"But you're not," he shook his head and found it heavy. He tried to sit up, but it just wasn't working. The alcohol felt like it was pounding against his skull in waves. He closed his eyes. "You're not here."

But when he opened his eyes, of course she was there. Standing there, bathed in light. She was so beautiful. "Hunter…"

"No, no, no," he tried pulling himself up again. He managed to get himself into a seated position, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He looked up at her. "You are not real. I saw you die, I _saw you die_."

"Oh, Hunter, my poor, poor Hunter," Stephanie said, taking a step closer to him.

"No, stop!" Hunter held up his hand in front of himself, stopping her in his tracks. "I'm hallucinating. She's not real. She will never be real. I need help. I just need help. I need to get some help."

Stephanie took this as her cue to get even closer. She'd nearly doused herself in her old perfume and she knew Hunter was familiar with the scent. Hunter looked up at her, his eyes still heavy, but still fighting to keep them open. He swayed a little as he watched her. She stopped a few feet in front of him, looking down at him like some sort of heavenly creature sent from above. Her hair was shiny and just the way he liked it, and her face was not marred by death.

"You're so beautiful…"

"You always did have beautiful things to say to me," she nearly gagged on the words, but this was what she had to do. She had to be convincing.

"Why did you leave me?" he asked, his voice laced with unbidden sadness. "Why didn't you stay?"

"I'm right here," she told him.

"You're not, I'm going crazy. I think so…Chris thinks so, I think everyone thinks so. They all think I'm crazy, and if I tell them I see you, that I talk to you, they're going to think I'm crazy."

Stephanie crouched down in front of hi so she could try and meet his eye line. He didn't look at her so she just stared at his bowed head. "What if you weren't crazy? What if I was right here?"

"You're not though. You didn't call me."

"Maybe I did call you."

"You're dead, you can't call me, dead people can't use the phone," he said, shaking his head. "God, I've got to get you out of my mind. I've got to get you out of here, you've got to get out of my head, my brain feels so fuzzy, it's just the alcohol, God, I haven't drank that much in forever. I'm so tired, I'm going to go to sleep. When I wake up, I won't be crazy."

"Hunter."

"Stop," he said in agony, trying valiantly to keep away from her. Stephanie wasn't having that though and decided it was time.

She tentatively reached out for him, placing her hand on his knee. She heard him gasp in shock as he felt her touch. His head shot up and he looked straight at her. The fog of the alcohol and the sleeping aid was still making him hazy. He didn't know what was real anymore. Her touch felt so real. Her face looked so real; she seemed so solid. But it just wasn't possible. None of this was possible. It was alcohol dreams, that's all this was. His brain was conjuring her up, making her real because he wanted so desperately for her to be with him.

"Oh God," he swayed and fell against the bed. He closed his eyes again, "Not real, not real, not real…"

Stephanie bit her lip to keep from laughing. He must still think he was drunk. This was even better than she'd anticipated. He wasn't believing her, instead believing he was just hallucinating, going crazy without her. It wasn't going to work though, Stephanie was going to make sure of that. She had to make sure Hunter believed he was honestly going crazy.

She reached out and touch his cheek. "I'm real, I'm here, Hunter."

"No, you can't be, you just can't, Stephanie, why are you torturing me?"

"I'm not dead, I'm right here, you can hear me, can't you? You can feel me, can't you? How can I be dead if I'm right here?" she wondered, touching his face lightly. Hunter blinked a few times, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. He could feel her warm touch against his skin, could almost feel her heartbeat through her wrist as it gently caressed his stubbly chin.

"You're real," he sobbed, sitting up woozily, but falling right back down.

"Shh, shh, easy, Hunter, easy."

"Where did you go? Why did you leave? Where have you been? Are you back for good?"

"I can't answer any of those questions. I can just be here," Stephanie told him. Hunter grabbed her hand and sat up. He slowly reached out and hugged her, and now he was crying in earnest. Stephanie rolled his eyes as he held her. She felt nothing at his touch. When Chris touched her, it felt like her skin was on fire, like she was going to combust from the inside out. When Hunter touched her, she only wanted to move away.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here now, it'll all be okay," she told him.

"I believe you, I love you so much," he sobbed into her shoulder. She patted his back.

"I know you do, I've missed you, Hunter, I've missed you so much."

"You're real, you're here, and you're real," he kept saying to himself. Stephanie could feel him slumping against her and she gently laid him back down on the bed. He looked up at her, not wanting to break contact, not wanting to lose her touch and her warmth. "Don't leave me."

"I'm right there," Stephanie told him. "You need to sleep. You're so tired."

"I want to look at you, I just want to see you, I want you here with me."

"Just go to sleep," she brushed his hair away from his face. "Just sleep…"

"I don't want to…"

"Yes, you do. It's okay, Hunter, it'll all be okay, you just need sleep."

"Please stay with me."

"Sleep now," she told him gently as the medicine was starting to take effect again. She sat there, stroking his head until he fell asleep. Stephanie got up to go, leaving him there. She almost wished she could film his reaction tomorrow morning when he woke up to nothing. She grabbed the keycard Chris took and put it on the table in the room so there was no incriminating evidence. Then she left.

She only hoped Hunter would break.


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: Thank you for being so patient with me over this story, the inspiration comes and goes at will, and I just go with it. Thank you for continuing to read. :)

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"I saw her."

Chris looked up from his desk, a stack of papers in his hand. Stephanie was off somewhere doing God knew what. She was probably getting herself into some kind of trouble, but she was Stephanie, and she could handle herself. He tapped the papers against the desk, making them all fall in line before he set them down slowly on the table, his gaze turning curious, although he knew what Hunter was talking about.

"You saw who?" Chris asked.

"Stephanie, I saw her last night," Hunter sat himself down, forgoing any pretenses of decorum. "I saw her, I touched her, she was there, she was real. She's real, she's alive, Chris, she really is."

"Hunter—"

"No, no, no, don't take that tone with me, don't pity me, don't act like I'm crazy, I'm not crazy!" Hunter insisted.

"Man, you were really drunk last night, I practically had to drag you to your hotel room. You were belligerent, talking about a bunch of things that didn't even make sense," Chris said, making it up as he went along. Hunter was shaking his head so vigorously that his hair was flying into his face, adding to his disheveled look.

"I wasn't drunk, I mean, maybe I was, but not for her," Hunter explained. "The moment I saw her, I swear, it had never been more real. I woke up and I could still smell her, it was like she'd lingered there, she told me she wasn't dead."

Chris bit his lip and tried to look at sympathetic as possible. Hunter had no idea how right he was, how his ex-fiancée was walking around right under his nose all the time. He passed by Stephanie every single day, but didn't know it was her. Careful plastic surgery and other minor changes saw fit to that. But Hunter's misery was unfounded as the woman he loved danced around him in glee.

"Hunter, you were there when she died, you saw it happen with your own eyes. You were at her funeral."

"No, she must have…something must have happened, it was a double or something, not her, they found someone who looked like her, and she was so beat up, maybe it wasn't her at all. We don't know that, I mean, it could have been anyone! But I know it wasn't her."

"Hunter, listen to me, you were _there_ when she died, you were there when she took her last breath, Vince has told me all about it. He told me about that last day. You know how much I cared about her, I wanted to know. He told me everything."

"It wasn't her!" Hunter roared, his fists clenching so tight that Chris wouldn't be surprised if there was blood on them when he finally unclenched. "Or if it was, something happened that made her have to fake her death because the woman I saw last night was her."

"You might have thought you saw her—"

"I touched her, she touched me, she told me she wasn't dead, she said it," Hunter interrupted him again. Chris could see he was getting especially irate, and that's just where Chris wanted him. But what he really needed was for the self-doubt to creep into Hunter's mind. It was only then that the insanity would really settle in. In the moment where Hunter's reality blurred with his imagination, that was the grail.

"I want to believe you, I really, really do, but there were other witnesses. Her father has never seen her, and don't you think she'd go to him? And me, don't you think she'd go to me?"

"Who the hell were you to her?" Hunter snapped at him. "She didn't love you, not really, not like you should be loved. Stephanie loved me. She loved me and she wanted to marry me. She was the most beautiful, wonderful woman, and she wanted me, no matter what you may think."

The irony of the situation was not lost on Chris. Stephanie didn't want Hunter, she never had, not really. She settled for him, and then was pushed towards him by an inane and stupid plan that crumbled around Hunter. But she never truly wanted him. And Chris wasn't about to give her up. Stephanie was the only woman he would ever love, he was sure of this.

"If she really wanted you and did fake her own death, which, let's face it, is a little out there, why wouldn't she have come for you sooner?"

"Obviously there's some reason she can't. Maybe she got mixed up in the wrong people, we don't know, Chris, there's obviously some reason she wouldn't come back for me, she told me she was alive, she told me that she wanted me," Hunter told him. "I'm telling you the truth."

"You saw her die, Hunter," Chris told him. "You saw her slip away, you were in the room, other people were in the room, the doctor declared her dead, she had a funeral, do you see where I'm going with this."

"I know what I saw, Chris, I know it, I know it!" Hunter stood up, looking especially irritated. "She came back for me, she came back, and I'm going to get her to come back, then you'll see, everyone will see, you'll see I was right. She'll come back, she loves me!"

Hunter stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Chris waited a few minutes, making sure that Hunter wasn't going to come storming back in, and when it was clear he wasn't coming back, Chris started laughing. This was going even better than they planned. To any normal person, Hunter's rantings were that of a crazy person. Nobody in their rational mind would believe his ludicrous, yet true utterings.

"What the hell is up with Hunter?" Stephanie asked as she walked inside the room, locking the door behind her. "He looks crazed."

Chris smirked, "Seems he had a late night visitor last night, and he hasn't been able to get her out of his mind. He's convinced that she's real…now wherever would he get that from?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it came to him in a dream," Stephanie said, walking over and seating herself in Chris's lap. She moved around a little, causing him to harden ever so slightly. He could usually keep himself in check though. "So what are we going to do about it? I mean, we can't possibly have such an unstable employee under our charge, can we? Something like this needs real professional help."

"I think we know what we have to do."

Chris rang the doorbell, grabbing Stephanie's hand as they waited for the door to open on the nice split-level house in front of them. Stephanie had been here a few times before, but it didn't bring the same dread it once did. The other times had been under much different circumstances so this time she was able to stand tall at this doorstep. A few moments later, the door opened and an older woman answered, smiling kindly at the two of them.

'Thank you so much for seeing us, Mrs. Helmsley," Chris said with the charming smile that could get any woman's panties to drop, no matter what age.

"It sounded urgent," Pat said, eyeing them warily.

"I'm afraid it is," Chris said as they stepped inside the house. "I'm sorry, I'm so rude, this is my wife, Mary. Mary, this is Hunter's mother, Mrs. Helmsley."

"Please, both of you, call me Pat," she said, shaking Stephanie's hand. "Come into the living room, it's much more comfortable in there." Pat walked into another room while Chris and Stephanie followed. They took a seat on one of the couches, a tray of cookies in front of them with some iced tea to accompany the sweet treat. "If you'll excuse me a moment, I just needed to go get Hunter's father, he'll want to hear this too."

"Of course," Chris nodded at her, standing up slightly as she left the room. Chris looked around, "Too normal for my tastes."

"Well, bland and blander never liked me to begin with, but nobody was good for her precious Hunter. She might as well have married him herself," Stephanie said, running her hand up Chris's thigh and resting it very close to his crotch. "Plus he wouldn't fuck me in this house."

"Good, I don't need to know he touched you here," Chris said, shoving her hand away. "You're insatiable."

"If we can sneak upstairs, I'll let you fuck me on his old bed. You can even take me from behind, just like you like it. I bet his parents won't even know because they're about to get some devastating news."

"You're disgusting," he said, but leaned over to nip at her bottom lip, tugging on it slightly before capturing her lips in a kiss. She responded in kind, but pulled away as she could hear Hunter's parents entering the room. She cleared her throat to calm herself down.

"So what's this all about?" Hunter's father asked gruffly.

"Paul, shh, this is Hunter's boss, he has something to tell us about Hunter," Pat said, sitting down and urging her husband to sit down. He eyed the two suspiciously, but sat down. "Well, go on then."

"Well, first of all, you're aware how your son has been since his fiancée died, right?" Chris started off with the easy question. Easy because everyone knew that Hunter was still extremely torn up about Stephanie's supposed death.

"Yes, we're aware," Pat said, "did something happen?"

"Well, not really, but we're really concerned for your son. It was such a serious matter, I felt like I had to come here personally. It seems…well, it seems that he thinks he sees her and has talked to her."

"What?" Paul asked. "He's hallucinating?"

"Well, he insists that she's real, but he saw her die, her father saw her die, it's not like there were no witnesses. For a little while now he's kind of been convinced that she may be alive, but the other night, he actually came to me and told me he saw her and touched her. He said she told him she was alive."

"But that's not possible," Pat gasped.

"That's where the problem is, I'm very worried about his state of mind right now. I wanted to find someone close to him, someone to appeal to him, and it felt fitting to see out his parents. You've seen how he's been since Stephanie's death, but since he's started thinking he's seeing her everywhere, it's gotten so much worse."

"I can't believe this, I never realized he was that far gone over her death," Pat said. "He's never been one to show his feelings very easily, but this. What can we do, Paul? What can we possibly do?"

"I think he needs help," Chris said gently. "He's really bad now, and I fear for the safety of my other employees if he realizes that everything he's going through is simply in his brain. Your son is paid to wrestle, but it's the last thing on his mind right now, and he needs to refocus, maybe go away for a while.

"I don't even know what to say."

"You could hold an intervention," Stephanie drawled. "We could gather up people here and convince him to check himself out. I mean, he could just go to classes, but it's really getting scary."

"That's what we'll do, we'll convince him to get the help he needs," Pat said, "I can't believe this was happening without us knowing it. He seemed so fine, but seeing her, thinking he can touch her, and that she's alive. That's too much, that's…he's broken, he was so broken over it all."

Stephanie wanted to muster up sympathy, but she had none. She simply gazed as Hunter's mother broke down into tears. Her son had invoked that in Stephanie before, and so she could not feel when it came to this. Hunter was getting what he deserved, and she would bulldoze the world to get what she wanted. Stephanie pursed her lips before speaking.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of Hunter."


End file.
